title: Seroprevalence of melioidosis in diabetic patients in Taiwan.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Min-Sheng Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Tsair
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yao-Shen
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Soi-Moi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Chye
authors.forename: Tsu-Rong
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wen-Gui
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Yun-Nan
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Hong-Twn
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Bair
authors.forename: Shu-Chi
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ya-Lei
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial