Fatal acute melioidosis in a tourist returning from Martinique Island, November 2010

L Gétaz; M Abbas; L Loutan; J Schrenzel; A Iten; F Simon; A Decosterd; R Studer; P Sudre; Y Michel; P Merlani; S Emonet

doi:10.2807/ese.16.01.19758-en

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Fatal acute melioidosis in a tourist returning from Martinique Island, November 2010

L Gétaz¹, M Abbas², L Loutan¹, J Schrenzel^3,4, A Iten⁵, F Simon⁶, A Decosterd⁷, R Studer³, P Sudre⁸, Y Michel¹, P Merlani⁷, S Emonet^3,4
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Affiliations: ¹ Division of Humanitarian and International Medicine, Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care, Geneva University Hospitals, and Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland ² Service of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland ³ Bacteriology Laboratory, Department of Genetic Medicine and Laboratories, Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland ⁴ Service of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland ⁵ Infection Control Program, Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland ⁶ Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Unit, Laveran Military Teaching Hospital, Marseille, France ⁷ Service of Intensive Care, Department of Anaesthesiology, Pharmacology and Intensive Care, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Switzerland. ⁸ General directorate of health, Department of regional affairs, economy and health, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland

Correspondence:
L Gétaz
laurent.getaz hcuge.ch
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Citation style for this article: Gétaz L, Abbas M, Loutan L, Schrenzel J, Iten A, Simon F, Decosterd A, Studer R, Sudre P, Michel Y, Merlani P, Emonet S. Fatal acute melioidosis in a tourist returning from Martinique Island, November 2010. Euro Surveill. 2011;16(1):pii=19758. https://doi.org/10.2807/ese.16.01.19758-en Received: 02 Dec 2010

Abstract

We report the fatal case of acute melioidosis in a patient returning from Martinique with fever in November 2010. Gram-negative rods were isolated from a blood culture and Burkholderia pseudomallei identified within 24 hours after first medical contact. The patient died two days after admission to hospital despite intravenous therapy with high doses of imipenem/cilastatin and intensive care. Clinicians seeing travellers returning from the subtropics or tropics with severe pneumonia or septicaemia should consider the possibility of acute melioidosis.