melioidosis /mel′ē·oidō″sis/ [Gk, melis, distemper, eidos, form, osis, condition] , an infection caused by the gram-negative bacillus Burkholderia pseudomallei. Acute melioidosis is fulminant and usually characterized by pneumonia, empyema, lung abscess, septicemia, and liver or spleen involvement. Chronic melioidosis is associated with osteomyelitis, multiple abscesses of the internal organs, and development of fistulas from the abscesses. The disease, most commonly seen in China and Southeast Asia, is acquired by direct contact with infected animals. Human-to-human transmission is unlikely. Treatment using chloramphenicol, sulfonamides, or tetracycline for several months is usually successful.
