Glanders (Burkholderia mallei infection) in an Iranian man: A case report

Abstract

Background: Glanders is a rare disease that has been eradicated in many countries but may be difficult to diagnose due to its nonspecific symptoms. This disease, which can be highly fatal if left untreated, is caused by a bacterium called Burkholderia mallei. Humans can get the disease through contact with infected animals, such as horses. Over time, various treatment strategies have been proposed for this disease, and attempts haveeven been made to develop a vaccine, but thus far, no effective vaccine has been developed to prevent it. Case presentation: In this article, we describeacase of Glanders disease in KamkarArabnia Hospital in Qom, Iran. The patient was a 22-year-old man with headache, fever, chills, diarrhea, and vomiting of blood, and was admitted to the infectious ward in isolation. Conclusion: The lack of definitive diagnostic symptoms and the rarity of this disease make it difficult to diagnose, and one should be careful in dealing with its symptoms. Also, paying attention to the patient's medical history and travel history to endemic areas, can lead to timely diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords

• Glanders
• Burkholderia mallei
• Case report