Increasing Incidence of Human Melioidosis in Northeast Thailand

Direk Limmathurotsakul Department of Tropical Hygiene and Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Khon Kaen Hospital, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; Center for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Cambridge University, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom

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Surasakdi Wongratanacheewin Department of Tropical Hygiene and Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Khon Kaen Hospital, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; Center for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Cambridge University, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom

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Nittaya Teerawattanasook Department of Tropical Hygiene and Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Khon Kaen Hospital, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; Center for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Cambridge University, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom

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Gumphol Wongsuvan Department of Tropical Hygiene and Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Khon Kaen Hospital, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; Center for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Cambridge University, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom

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Seksan Chaisuksant Department of Tropical Hygiene and Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Khon Kaen Hospital, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; Center for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Cambridge University, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom

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Ploenchan Chetchotisakd Department of Tropical Hygiene and Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Khon Kaen Hospital, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; Center for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Cambridge University, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom

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Wipada Chaowagul Department of Tropical Hygiene and Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Khon Kaen Hospital, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; Center for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Cambridge University, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom

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Nicholas P.J. Day Department of Tropical Hygiene and Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Khon Kaen Hospital, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; Center for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Cambridge University, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom

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Sharon J. Peacock Department of Tropical Hygiene and Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Microbiology, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Khon Kaen Hospital, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand; Center for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Cambridge University, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom

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Melioidosis is a serious community-acquired infectious disease caused by the Gram-negative environmental bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. A prospective cohort study identified 2,243 patients admitted to Sappasithiprasong Hospital in northeast Thailand with culture-confirmed melioidosis between 1997 and 2006. These data were used to calculate an average incidence rate for the province of 12.7 cases of melioidosis per 100,000 people per year. Incidence increased incrementally from 8.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 7.2–10.0) in 2000 to 21.3 (95% CI = 19.2–23.6) in 2006 (P < 0.001; χ2 test for trend). Male sex, age ≥ 45 years, and either known or undiagnosed diabetes were independent risk factors for melioidosis. The average mortality rate from melioidosis over the study period was 42.6%. The minimum estimated population mortality rate from melioidosis in 2006 was 8.63 per 100,000 people (95% CI = 7.33–10.11), the third most common cause of death from infectious diseases in northeast Thailand after human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and tuberculosis.

Author Notes

*Address correspondence to Direk Limmathurotsakul, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Rajvithi Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. E-mail: direk@tropmedres.ac

Financial support: This study was funded by the Wellcome Trust of Great Britain.

Authors' addresses: Direk Limmathurotsakul, Gumphol Wongsuvan, and Nicholas P. J. Day, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand, E-mails: direk@tropmedres.ac, gumphol@tropmedres.ac, and nickd@tropmedres.ac. Surasakdi Wongratanacheewin, Department of Microbiology, Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand, E-mail: sura_wng@kku.ac.th. Nittaya Teerawattanasook, Department of Microbiology, Sappasithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. Seksan Chaisuksant, Department of Medicine, Khon Kaen Hospital, Khon Kaen, Thailand. Ploenchan Chetchotisakd, Department of Medicine, Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand, E-mail: ploenchan@kku.ac.th. Wipada Chaowagul, Department of Medicine, Sappsithiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand, E-mail: vipada_1@yahoo.com. Sharon J. Peacock, Department of Medicine, Cambridge University, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK, E-mail: sharon@tropmedres.ac.

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