A call to action: Time to recognise melioidosis as a neglected tropical disease

Jelmer Savelkoel; David A.B. Dance; Bart J. Currie; Direk Limmathurotsakul; W. Joost Wiersinga

doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00394-7

A call to action: Time to recognise melioidosis as a neglected tropical disease

Jelmer Savelkoel, David A.B. Dance, Bart J. Currie, Direk Limmathurotsakul, W. Joost Wiersinga

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

53 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Melioidosis is a tropical infection caused by the soil bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. Despite the substantial impact of this often overlooked pathogen on both the health-care systems and economies of numerous low-income and middle-income countries around the world, melioidosis is not officially classified as a neglected tropical disease (NTD) by WHO. Melioidosis causes a higher estimated disease burden and mortality than many other recognised NTDs, with deaths primarily occurring among rural poor populations in low-income and middle-income countries. Fortunately, the impact of melioidosis in a region can be reduced once awareness is established of its known or suspected endemicity. In this Personal View, we provide evidence in support of official recognition of melioidosis as an NTD. We urge member states to request that WHO revisit their NTD list and appeal to government and philanthropic organisations to establish programmes in endemic countries to control melioidosis in order to reduce its global health burden.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	e176-e182
Journal	The Lancet Infectious Diseases
Volume	22
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00394-7
Publication status	Published - Jun 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (VIDI grant number 91716475 to WJW). The work of DABD and DL on melioidosis was funded in part by the Wellcome Trust (grant number 106698/Z/14/Z) and of BJC was supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council grant numbers 1098337 and 1131932 (the HOT NORTH initiative). The Biological Threat Reduction Program has supported the organisation of a Melioidosis Threat Reduction Network for melioidosis in southeast Asia (grant number HDTRA1-16-C-0017). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. For the purpose of open access, the author has applied a CC BY public copyright licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd

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10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00394-7

Cite this

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abstract = "Melioidosis is a tropical infection caused by the soil bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. Despite the substantial impact of this often overlooked pathogen on both the health-care systems and economies of numerous low-income and middle-income countries around the world, melioidosis is not officially classified as a neglected tropical disease (NTD) by WHO. Melioidosis causes a higher estimated disease burden and mortality than many other recognised NTDs, with deaths primarily occurring among rural poor populations in low-income and middle-income countries. Fortunately, the impact of melioidosis in a region can be reduced once awareness is established of its known or suspected endemicity. In this Personal View, we provide evidence in support of official recognition of melioidosis as an NTD. We urge member states to request that WHO revisit their NTD list and appeal to government and philanthropic organisations to establish programmes in endemic countries to control melioidosis in order to reduce its global health burden.",

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A call to action: Time to recognise melioidosis as a neglected tropical disease

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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