Case of misdiagnosed melioidosis from Hue city, Vietnam

Abstract

Melioidosis is an emerging infection, a potentially fatal tropical disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei in humans and animals, endemic in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Diagnosis remains problematic due to its similarity to many other infections. The lack of clinical awareness and correct microbiological diagnosis contributes to the misidentification of melioidosis. We present a melioidosis case, which was misdiagnosed with pneumonia and septicemia due to Aeromonas salmonicida, leading to ineffective prolonged-course antibiotic treatment for the patient.

Keywords

• Diagnostic errors;
• Melioidosis;
• Burkholderia pseudomallei;
• Aeromonas salmonicida;
• 16S ribosomal RNA