People with Whitmore's disease are mainly caused by bacteria that enter the body through the skin, the wound is scratched or inhale dust, steam, or drink contaminated water.

Whitmore patient being treated at the emergency recovery department of Hue Central Hospital - Photo: Hospital

Information from Hue Central Hospital (Thua Thien - Hue) said that from the beginning of October 2020 to mid-November 2020, the unit recorded 28 cases of Whitmore's disease, a sudden increase compared to the annual average. In which, about 50% of patients are from Thua Thien - Hue, the rest are from Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri ...

Many patients come to the hospital in the late stage of the disease, when there is sepsis, septic shock or multi-organ failure ... making treatment difficult, high cost of treatment, but the results are not satisfactory.

According to statistics at Hue Central Hospital, from 2014 to 2019, there were 83 cases diagnosed with Whitmore (positive patient culture for Burkholderia Pseudomallei). From January to September 2020, 11 patients had Whitmore's disease.

The number of cases of Whitmore's disease is closely related and directly related to annual rainfall and is especially high after floods due to the proliferation of Burkholderia Pseudomallei bacteria.

Whitmore disease (also known as Melioidosis) is caused by the gram-negative bacillus Burkholderia Pseudomallei. This bacteria is found in soil, dirty water or in rice fields and stagnant waters; can be spread to humans and animals by direct contact with sources of contamination.

People with Whitmore's disease are mainly caused by bacteria that enter the body through the skin, the wound is scratched or inhale dust, steam, or drink contaminated water.

At the site of entry, they cause pustules to become large or small depending on the degree, sometimes as a large abscess. If not detected and treated promptly, the disease will progress seriously, possibly septic shock causing failure of many organs, organs leading to the risk of death.

Whitmore's disease is common in people with a history of diabetes, accounting for about 37-60% of people with diabetes. The shortest incubation period recorded was 1 day and the longest was 62 years.

Most patients with Whitmore have a diverse, ambiguous, multiorgan clinical presentation. Diagnosis is easily overlooked and mistaken for other diseases, especially tuberculosis due to its similar vulnerability to TB.

Master, specialist II doctor Hoang Thi Lan Huong - deputy director of Hue Central Hospital, said to proactively prevent Whitmore's disease, people need to limit exposure to pollution sources; Use shoes, sandals, and gloves when in contact with soil, dirty water or flood water.

Especially when there are open wounds, sores ... it is necessary to avoid contact with heavily polluted soil or flood water.

People with chronic diseases such as diabetes and immunodeficiency need care and protection from damage to prevent infections caused by floodwaters. When suspecting an infection, medical facilities should be consulted, examined, detected, and tested to determine Burkholderia pseudomallei infection and promptly treated.

Source: //tuoitre.vn/benh-whitmore-tang-o-mien-trung-20201118092815667.htm