Many people are hospitalized for being infected with a cannibal bacteria: Can this disease be treated?

Dozens of people were hospitalized due to cannibal bacteria since early 2019

Assoc.Prof.Dr. Do Duy Cuong, Director of the Center for Tropical Diseases, Bach Mai Hospital said that in the past 5-10 years, the hospital had only received about 20 patients with Whitmore, but since the beginning of 2019, the center has received up to 20 cases.

In August alone, there were 12 patients with severe Whitmore, including 4 deaths due to bacteria 'eating' many organs. Most patients come from Northern and Northern Central provinces. It is currently the rainy season, a good time for Whitmore bacteria to grow.

How dangerous is a cannibal?

Whitmore infections are clinically diverse. Children often have symptoms of high fever, toxic infections and manifestation of parotid gland swelling is more common than other symptoms. In adults, the most common disease is pneumonia, then dermatitis, urinary infection, sepsis .

The bacteria that cause Whitmore's disease are more toxic than other bacteria. The disease is often seen in people with weakened immune systems, who are suffering from chronic diseases, so the course of the disease is often more complicated, more severe, and can be fatal if not properly diagnosed and treated with antibiotics.

Whitmore's disease, if healthy people unfortunately suffer, is detected to be treated appropriately and will cure without leaving sequelae. But if the disease falls on the elderly, weak, weakened immune systems, and those suffering from chronic diseases, there is a greater risk of it becoming more complex and difficult to treat.

The disease does not currently have a preventive vaccine and when the disease has started, the progression of the disease is very fast, can kill patients after 48 hours of hospitalization.

This disease was first discovered in the world in 1911, appearing in Vietnam since 1936. The disease is caused by the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei. The disease manifests itself in a different location and has different symptoms so it is often confused with the symptoms of other common infections such as mumps, abscesses, inflammation . Whitmore's death rate is 40-60%, patients can die in 1 week with severe cases of acute infection.

Pathogenic bacteria live in mud and water, the main route of transmission through infected skin contact with bacteria or inhalation of dust particles containing bacteria.

How to vet?

Regarding treatment, only if the doctor identifies a patient with Burkholderia pseudomallei infection, he will be prescribed antibiotics. As a rule, after using antibiotics for 48 to 72 hours without signs of remission, other antibiotics will be changed.

When infection can only be treated through two stages:

Stage 1: At least 10 to 14 days of intravenous (IV) antibiotics. Treatment with this antibiotic can last up to eight weeks.

Phase 2: 3 to 6 months of either oral antibiotic.

The disease is not spread from person to person and is not easily infected with good hygiene.

The precaution is that people coming into contact with unclean soil or water must wear protective gloves or boots and wash their hands and feet as soon as they come in contact with unclean water or soil. When you have symptoms such as high fever, pneumonia, abscess, infection in different areas of the body, you should go to the nearest health center to do the necessary tests and tests.