title: Human melioidosis reported by ProMED.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There are limited sources describing the global burden of emerging diseases. A review of human melioidosis reported by ProMED was performed and the reliability of the data retrieved assessed in comparison to published reports. The effectiveness of ProMED was evaluated as a source of epidemiological data by focusing on melioidosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the keyword 'melioidosis' in the ProMED search engine, all of the information from the reports and collected data was reviewed using a structured form, including the year, country, gender, occupation, number of infected individuals, and number of fatal cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and twenty-four entries reported between January 1995 and October 2014 were identified. A total of 4630 cases were reported, with death reported in 505 cases, suggesting a misleadingly low overall case fatality rate (CFR) of 11%. Of 20 cases for which the gender was reported, 12 (60%) were male. Most of the cases were reported from Australia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia, with sporadic reports from other countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Internet-based reporting systems such as ProMED are useful to gather information and synthesize knowledge on emerging infections. Although certain areas need to be improved, ProMED provided good information about melioidosis.
authors.affiliation: Public Health and Infection Research Group and Incubator, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira, Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia.
authors.forename: Katherinn Melissa
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Nasner-Posso
authors.affiliation: Public Health and Infection Research Group and Incubator, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira, Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cruz-Calderón
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Section, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia.
authors.forename: Franco E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Montúfar-Andrade
authors.affiliation: Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic; Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: David A B
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Dance
authors.affiliation: Public Health and Infection Research Group and Incubator, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira, Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia; Working Group on Zoonoses, International Society for Chemotherapy, Aberdeen, UK; Committee on Zoonoses and Haemorrhagic Fevers, Asociación Colombiana de Infectología, Bogotá, DC, Colombia. Electronic address: arodriguezm@utp.edu.co.
authors.forename: Alfonso J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Morales
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008554:Melioidosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Epidemiology; Melioidosis; ProMED