Department of Medicine, Cairns Hospital, Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
Tropical Public Health Services, Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2022 Jul 25;107(6):1278-1280. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.22-0160. Print 2022 Dec 14.
The incidence of melioidosis, an opportunistic infection caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, has recently doubled in Far North Queensland (FNQ), Australia. This contrasts with the local burden of dengue, which is nearing elimination, and the stable incidence of leptospirosis. This questionnaire-based study assessed the awareness of melioidosis among people in FNQ with risk factors for the disease, using awareness of leptospirosis and dengue as comparators. There were 427 respondents; 361 (85%) reported one or more risk factors for melioidosis. Only 69 of 361 (19%) had heard of melioidosis compared with 301 of 361 (83%) who had heard of dengue (P < 0.001) and 137 of 361 (38%) who had heard of leptospirosis (P < 0.001). In FNQ, Australia, there is an increasing local incidence of melioidosis, but there is limited awareness of the disease among high-risk individuals. Greater community awareness of melioidosis is necessary to implement strategies to prevent disease and expedite the presentation of patients with this life-threatening infection.
澳大利亚远北昆士兰州（FNQ）的类鼻疽病（由伯克霍尔德氏菌引起的机会性感染）发病率最近翻了一番，而当地登革热的负担正在接近消除，钩端螺旋体病的发病率也保持稳定。本项基于问卷调查的研究使用钩端螺旋体病和登革热作为对照，评估了 FNQ 中有类鼻疽病风险因素的人群对该病的认识。共有 427 名受访者；其中 361 名（85%）报告了一种或多种类鼻疽病风险因素。与 361 名（83%）听说过登革热的人相比，只有 69 名（19%）听说过类鼻疽病（P < 0.001），而听说过钩端螺旋体病的人有 137 名（38%）（P < 0.001）。在澳大利亚远北昆士兰州，类鼻疽病的当地发病率正在上升，但高危人群对该病的认识有限。有必要提高社区对类鼻疽病的认识，以实施预防疾病的策略，并加快对患有这种危及生命的感染的患者的诊治。
