Melioidosis in Africa: Time to Uncover the True Disease Load
Melioidosis is an often fatal infectious disease with a protean clinical spectrum, caused by the environmental bacterial pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei. Although the disease has been reported from some African countries in the past, the present epidemiology of melioidosis in Africa is almost ent...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-06-01
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| Series: | Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/3/2/62 |
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| author | Ivo Steinmetz Gabriel E. Wagner Estelle Kanyala Mamadou Sawadogo Hema Soumeya Mekonnen Teferi Emawayish Andargie Biruk Yeshitela Louise Yaba Atsé-Achi Moussa Sanogo Bassirou Bonfoh Raphael Rakotozandrindrainy Célestin Pongombo Shongo Mick Shongoya Pongombo Eric Kasamba Ilunga Sabine Lichtenegger Karoline Assig Jürgen May Eric Bertherat Michael Owusu Ellis Owusu-Dabo Yaw Adu-Sarkodie |
| author_facet | Ivo Steinmetz Gabriel E. Wagner Estelle Kanyala Mamadou Sawadogo Hema Soumeya Mekonnen Teferi Emawayish Andargie Biruk Yeshitela Louise Yaba Atsé-Achi Moussa Sanogo Bassirou Bonfoh Raphael Rakotozandrindrainy Célestin Pongombo Shongo Mick Shongoya Pongombo Eric Kasamba Ilunga Sabine Lichtenegger Karoline Assig Jürgen May Eric Bertherat Michael Owusu Ellis Owusu-Dabo Yaw Adu-Sarkodie |
| author_sort | Ivo Steinmetz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Melioidosis is an often fatal infectious disease with a protean clinical spectrum, caused by the environmental bacterial pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei. Although the disease has been reported from some African countries in the past, the present epidemiology of melioidosis in Africa is almost entirely unknown. Therefore, the common view that melioidosis is rare in Africa is not evidence-based. A recent study concludes that large parts of Africa are environmentally suitable for B. pseudomallei. Twenty-four African countries and three countries in the Middle East were predicted to be endemic, but no cases of melioidosis have been reported yet. In this study, we summarize the present fragmentary knowledge on human and animal melioidosis and environmental B. pseudomallei in Africa and the Middle East. We propose that systematic serological studies in man and animals together with environmental investigations on potential B. pseudomallei habitats are needed to identify risk areas for melioidosis. This information can subsequently be used to target raising clinical awareness and the implementation of simple laboratory algorithms for the isolation of B. pseudomallei from clinical specimens. B. pseudomallei was most likely transferred from Asia to the Americas via Africa, which is shown by phylogenetic analyses. More data on the virulence and genomic characteristics of African B. pseudomallei isolates will contribute to a better understanding of the global evolution of the pathogen and will also help to assess potential differences in disease prevalence and outcome. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T13:08:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-77c3894be1b1422fb11d46580e105f26 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2414-6366 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T13:08:19Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease |
| spelling | doaj.art-77c3894be1b1422fb11d46580e105f262022-12-22T04:22:39ZengMDPI AGTropical Medicine and Infectious Disease2414-63662018-06-01326210.3390/tropicalmed3020062tropicalmed3020062Melioidosis in Africa: Time to Uncover the True Disease LoadIvo Steinmetz0Gabriel E. Wagner1Estelle Kanyala2Mamadou Sawadogo3Hema Soumeya4Mekonnen Teferi5Emawayish Andargie6Biruk Yeshitela7Louise Yaba Atsé-Achi8Moussa Sanogo9Bassirou Bonfoh10Raphael Rakotozandrindrainy11Célestin Pongombo Shongo12Mick Shongoya Pongombo13Eric Kasamba Ilunga14Sabine Lichtenegger15Karoline Assig16Jürgen May17Eric Bertherat18Michael Owusu19Ellis Owusu-Dabo20Yaw Adu-Sarkodie21Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaInstitute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaDepartement UFR/Science de la Santé, Université d’Ouagadougou, BP 7021, Ouagadougou, Burkina FasoDepartement UFR/Science de la Santé, Université d’Ouagadougou, BP 7021, Ouagadougou, Burkina FasoCentre Muraz, 01 BP 390 Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina FasoArmauer Hansen Research Institute, Jimma Road, ALERT Compound, P.O. Box 1005 Addis Ababa, EthiopiaArmauer Hansen Research Institute, Jimma Road, ALERT Compound, P.O. Box 1005 Addis Ababa, EthiopiaArmauer Hansen Research Institute, Jimma Road, ALERT Compound, P.O. Box 1005 Addis Ababa, EthiopiaLaboratoire Central Vétérinaire de Bingerville, LANADA, P.O. Box 206 Bingerville, Cote D’IvoireLaboratoire Central Vétérinaire de Bingerville, LANADA, P.O. Box 206 Bingerville, Cote D’IvoireCentre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire (CSRS), 01 BP 1303 Abidjan, Cote D’IvoireDepartment of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Antananarivo, B.P. 175 Antananarivo, MadagascarDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Université de Lubumbashi, 1825 Lubumbashi, Republic of the CongoDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Université de Lubumbashi, 1825 Lubumbashi, Republic of the CongoDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Université de Lubumbashi, 1825 Lubumbashi, Republic of the CongoInstitute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaInstitute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, AustriaBernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, GermanyDepartment of Infectious Hazard Management, World Health Organization, Geneva 27, SwitzerlandCollege of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, 00233 Kumasi, GhanaCollege of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, 00233 Kumasi, GhanaCollege of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, 00233 Kumasi, GhanaMelioidosis is an often fatal infectious disease with a protean clinical spectrum, caused by the environmental bacterial pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei. Although the disease has been reported from some African countries in the past, the present epidemiology of melioidosis in Africa is almost entirely unknown. Therefore, the common view that melioidosis is rare in Africa is not evidence-based. A recent study concludes that large parts of Africa are environmentally suitable for B. pseudomallei. Twenty-four African countries and three countries in the Middle East were predicted to be endemic, but no cases of melioidosis have been reported yet. In this study, we summarize the present fragmentary knowledge on human and animal melioidosis and environmental B. pseudomallei in Africa and the Middle East. We propose that systematic serological studies in man and animals together with environmental investigations on potential B. pseudomallei habitats are needed to identify risk areas for melioidosis. This information can subsequently be used to target raising clinical awareness and the implementation of simple laboratory algorithms for the isolation of B. pseudomallei from clinical specimens. B. pseudomallei was most likely transferred from Asia to the Americas via Africa, which is shown by phylogenetic analyses. More data on the virulence and genomic characteristics of African B. pseudomallei isolates will contribute to a better understanding of the global evolution of the pathogen and will also help to assess potential differences in disease prevalence and outcome.http://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/3/2/62melioidosisAfricaMiddle EastBurkholderia pseudomalleigenomicspublic awarenessenvironment |
| spellingShingle | Ivo Steinmetz Gabriel E. Wagner Estelle Kanyala Mamadou Sawadogo Hema Soumeya Mekonnen Teferi Emawayish Andargie Biruk Yeshitela Louise Yaba Atsé-Achi Moussa Sanogo Bassirou Bonfoh Raphael Rakotozandrindrainy Célestin Pongombo Shongo Mick Shongoya Pongombo Eric Kasamba Ilunga Sabine Lichtenegger Karoline Assig Jürgen May Eric Bertherat Michael Owusu Ellis Owusu-Dabo Yaw Adu-Sarkodie Melioidosis in Africa: Time to Uncover the True Disease Load Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease melioidosis Africa Middle East Burkholderia pseudomallei genomics public awareness environment |
| title | Melioidosis in Africa: Time to Uncover the True Disease Load |
| title_full | Melioidosis in Africa: Time to Uncover the True Disease Load |
| title_fullStr | Melioidosis in Africa: Time to Uncover the True Disease Load |
| title_full_unstemmed | Melioidosis in Africa: Time to Uncover the True Disease Load |
| title_short | Melioidosis in Africa: Time to Uncover the True Disease Load |
| title_sort | melioidosis in africa time to uncover the true disease load |
| topic | melioidosis Africa Middle East Burkholderia pseudomallei genomics public awareness environment |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/3/2/62 |
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