Whitmore’s disease kills four in Quang Tri
VOV.VN - Quang Tri General Hospital announced the death of four people in just one month on November 24 after being they had become infected with Melioidosis, also known as Whitmore’s disease, caused by bacterium Burkholderia pseudomalle.
The sudden increase in the mortality rate caused by the illness comes following a period of typhoons and floods severely hampering the region.
Most notably, Hue Central Hospital has received 28 patients suffering from Whitmore's disease since October, with 50% of them coming from other central localities and the remainder were from a number of districts of Thua Thien-Hue province.
According to the details released by the hospital, almost all of the patients were hospitalised after reaching the later stages of the disease, resulting in them receiving ineffective treatment.
The rapid rise in the number of infected cases is cause for alarm due to Hue Central Hospital only witnessing 83 cases of Whitmore’s disease between 2014 and 2019, along with 11 cases between January and September of this year.
Melioidosis is largely caused by the gram-negative bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei and is an infectious disease that can be transmitted through coming into contact with contaminated soil or water. Symptoms of the disease include fever, pneumonia, abscesses, and inflammation of the brain and joints.
