Endemic Melioidosis in Southern China: Past and Present

• Main Authors: Xiao Zheng, Qianfeng Xia, Lianxu Xia, Wei Li
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-02-01
• Series: Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease
• Subjects: melioidosis; <i>Burkholderia pseudomallei</i>; epidemiology; China
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/4/1/39

Melioidosis is a severe tropical infectious disease caused by the soil-dwelling bacterium <i>Burkholderia pseudomallei</i>, predominantly endemic to Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Between the 1970s and the 1990s, the presence of <i>B. pseudomallei</i> causing melioidosis in humans and other animals was demonstrated in four coastal provinces in southern China: Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian, although indigenous cases were rare and the disease failed to raise concern amongst local and national health authorities. In recent years, there has been a rise in the number of melioidosis cases witnessed in the region, particularly in Hainan. Meanwhile, although China has established and maintained an effective communicable disease surveillance system, it has not yet been utilized for melioidosis. Thus, the overall incidence, social burden and epidemiological features of the disease in China remain unclear. In this context, we present a comprehensive overview of both historical and current information on melioidosis in Southern China, highlighting the re-emergence of the disease in Hainan. Surveillance and management strategies for melioidosis should be promoted in mainland China, and more research should be conducted to provide further insights into the present situation.