You searched for: “melioidosis
melioidosis
1. A disease characterized by infectious granulomas similar to glanders; it is primarily a disease of rodents but is occasionally communicable to humans.
2. Etymology: from Greek melis, "glanders" + -oid, "like" + -osis, "diseased condition".
3. Also known as pseudoglanders; formerly called "Whitmore's disease".

An infectious illness which is most frequent in Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indochina, and Ceylon) and Northern Australia; and is caused by a bacteria called Pseudomonas pseudomallei found in soil, rice paddies, and stagnant waters.

Humans catch the disease by inhalation of contaminated dust or when soil contaminated by the bacteria comes in contact with abraded (scraped) skin.

Melioidosis most commonly involves the lungs where the infection can form a cavity of pus (abscess).

The bacteria can also spread from the skin through the bloodstream, the brain, eyes, heart, liver, kidneys, and joints.

This entry is located in the following unit: gland-, glans- (page 2)