Paediatric melioidosis in North Queensland, Australia.

AIM

to review admissions to the hospital due to Paediatric Melioidosis over a 10 year period.

METHODS

This was a retrospective chart review of all paediatric patients admitted to Townsville Hospital between 1996 and 2006 that were proven to have positive cultures for B. pseudomallei. Details were obtained from the Microbiology Department of Townsville Hospital.

RESULTS

Between 1996 and 2006, there were 150 cases of culture-confirmed melioidosis in North Queensland. Of these, eight (5.3%) were in children aged under 16 years. There were three deaths in this group. Three patients developed neurological melioidosis and there were no cases of parotid involvement. In our series, neurological melioidosis appeared to be statistically more significant in children compared with adults.

CONCLUSION

Melioidosis is an uncommon paediatric infection in Australia. In our series, neurological melioidosis appeared to be common in children compared with adults with devastating sequelae. The reasons for this remain unclear.