Previously, the patient had been diagnosed with a splenic abscess and had been treated surgically but had not gone away.
▶ This woman was found to have Whitmore after severe abdominal pain.
According to the Dak Lak Ministry of Health, a 40-year-old woman living in the Crong Park (Dak Lak) district at Central Highland General Hospital was recently diagnosed with Whitmore’s disease.
Previously, patients had severe abdominal pain while at home and had to go to Central Highland General Hospital. Here, the patient was diagnosed with a splenic abscess and should be treated surgically.
After being discharged from the hospital, the patient still had abdominal pain which did not go away and she had to go to the hospital for a re-examination. At this time, the patient was diagnosed with Whitmore’s disease against the background of type 2 diabetes.
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The second patient is continuing treatment at the Central Highland General Hospital’s Department of Infectious Diseases.
The Whitmore outbreak is caused by a bacterium scientifically known as Burkholderia pseudomalai, according to Dr Pam Honglam, head of the infectious disease department. The virus can secrete toxins from the patient’s body which cause ulcers and tissue necrosis.
After diagnosing the woman with Whitmore, the Department of Infectious Diseases actively treated the patient in coordination with the surgeon.
The patient should continue to receive aggressive treatment with strong antibiotics in the hospital within four weeks. After that, if healing goes well, the patient is returned home within 3 months to continue the maintenance treatment.
This is the third case of Whitmore’s disease in Dak Lak. Previously, the region had recorded two cases of Whitmore’s disease in Easup and Cu Quin.
Whitmore’s disease, also known as melioidosis, is a bacterial infectious disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, a Gram-negative bacillus, and is highly endemic in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia. Bacteria are mainly found in contaminated soil, dirty water or rice paddies and standing water. Direct contact with pollutants can cause transmission to humans and animals. You can also become infected by inhaling bacteria, dust or vapors that enter the body through the skin or by drinking contaminated water.
The first symptoms are pustules or large abscesses, depending on the severity. It is sometimes mistaken for tuberculosis, so it is a disease that requires accurate diagnosis.
If treatment is delayed, it is a dangerous disease that can cause septic shock and even death. In particular, diabetic patients are easily exposed to this disease. The shortest incubation period recorded was one day, with some cases reaching 62 years.
