Melioidosis in Malaysia: Incidence, clinical challenges and advances in understanding pathogenesis

Nathan, Sheila Nathan and Chieng, Sylvia Chieng and Kingsley, Paul Vijay Kingsley and Mohan, Anand Mohan and Podin, Yuwana Podin and Ooi, Mong-How Ooi and Mariappan, Vanitha Mariappan and Vellasamy, Kumutha Malar Vellasamy and Vadivelu, Jamuna Vadivelu and Daim, Sylvia Daim and How, Soon Hin (2018) Melioidosis in Malaysia: Incidence, clinical challenges and advances in understanding pathogenesis. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 3 (1). pp. 1-19. E-ISSN 2414-6366

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Abstract

Malaysia is an endemic hot spot for melioidosis; however, a comprehensive picture of the burden of disease, clinical presentations, and challenges faced in diagnosis and treatment of melioidosis is not available. This review provides a nonexhaustive overview of epidemiological data, clinical studies, risk factors, and mortality rates from available literature and case reports. Clinical patterns of melioidosis are generally consistent with those from South and Southeast Asia in terms of common primary presentations with diabetes as a major risk factor. Early diagnosis and appropriate management of Malaysian patients is a key limiting factor, which needs to be addressed to reduce serious complications and high mortality and recurrence rates. Promoting awareness among the local healthcare personnel is crucial to improving diagnostics and early treatment, as well as educating the Malaysian public on disease symptoms and risk factors. A further matter of urgency is the need to make this a notifiable disease and the establishment of a national melioidosis registry. We also highlight local studies on the causative agent, Burkholderiapseudomallei, with regards to bacteriology and identification of virulence factors as well as findings from host–pathogen interaction studies. Collectively, these studies have uncovered new correlations and insights for further understanding of the disease.

Item Type:	Article (Review)
Additional Information:	69531/2987
Uncontrolled Keywords:	melioidosis; Burkholderia pseudomallei; Malaysia; epidemiology; bacteriology
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC111 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Medicine > Department of Internal Medicine
Depositing User:	Miss Noor Shafiruz Ahmad
Date Deposited:	24 Jan 2019 19:37
Last Modified:	15 Feb 2019 15:51
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/69531

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