Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Abstract Background Little is known about the involvement of the human gut in carriage and disease associated with Burkholderia pseudomallei, the cause of melioidosis. Methods A hospital-based study was conducted in Northeast Thailand to culture stools or rectal swabs from patients with melioidosis, stools from controls with non-infectious diseases, and gastric biopsies from patients undergoing routine endoscopic investigation. Results and Conclusion B. pseudomallei was isolated from 9/83 (11%) stools and 9/58 (16%) rectal swabs from 141 patients with melioidosis. All stools from 244 control patients and 799 gastric biopsies from 395 patients with no evidence of melioidosis were culture negative for B. pseudomallei. It is not uncommon for melioidosis patients to shed B. pseudomallei in stool. Colonization of the gut of individuals without signs and symptoms of melioidosis may be rare.

Original publication

DOI

10.1093/trstmh/trx031

Type

Journal

Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Publication Date

01/04/2017

Volume

111

Pages

185 - 187