Seroprevalence of melioidosis in diabetic patients in Taiwan.
Diabetes mellitus is a major predisposing factor for Burkholderia pseudomallei infection. This study surveyed serum samples from 356 Taiwanese patients with diabetes mellitus for anti-flagellin antibodies against B. pseudomallei. Antibody titer to B. pseudomallei was positive in 3.0% (11/365) of diabetes mellitus patients. All seropositive individuals were aged > or =60, indicating that elderly and diabetic adults are at high risk of B. pseudomallei infection. In this study, diabetic females, who were usually housewives, had a seropositive rate of 81.1%. However, the incidence of melioidosis in males (usually working outdoors) was 93.7% based on clinical cases. We suggest that exposure of males and females to B. pseudomallei in this study was via different routes of infection.
Chen
Wen-Tsair
WT
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Min-Sheng Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Chen
Yao-Shen
YS
Chye
Soi-Moi
SM
Wu
Tsu-Rong
TR
Hong
Wen-Gui
WG
Lin
Yun-Nan
YN
Bair
Hong-Twn
HT
Yang
Shu-Chi
SC
Chen
Ya-Lei
YL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D016957:Burkholderia pseudomallei / Q000276:immunology*; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008554:Melioidosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012737:Sex Factors
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial