CLINICAL PROFILE OF MELIOIDOSIS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN KERALA

Background: Melioidosis also known as Whitmore's disease is an underreported infectious disease that is endemic to Thailand and parts of Australia. It is caused by the gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia psuedomallei and it has a varied clinical manifestation that can mimic common infections like Tuberculosis. To analyze the clinical presentation, Aims and Objectives: laboratory parameters and the treatment outcomes of all cases of Melioidosis presenting to a tertiary care hospital. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using Methodology: the medical records of all culture proven patients of Melioidosis over a seven-year period from January 2016 to December 2022 There Results: were 14 males and 3 females in the series. All the patients had diabetes as a comorbidity, while 3 patients had chronic liver disease and 2 had chronic kidney disease. Majority of the patients presented as an acute febrile illness with either pulmonary involvement or abscess formation at different sites. Melioidosis is an underdiagnosed emerging infectious disease in Sout Conclusion: h Asia that can have a varied clinical presentation. It should be suspected in patients with acute febrile illness with either pulmonary involvement or abscess formation especially with a background history of diabetes mellitus