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Case Report: Gestational Melioidosis through Perinatal Transmission
José Y Rodríguez1,2, Mónica G Huertas3,4, Gerson J Rodríguez1,5
11Centro de Investigaciones Microbiológicas del Cesar (CIMCE), Valledupar, Colombia.
Abstract:
Burkholderia pseudomallei is an emerging pathogen in the Americas. Cases of mother-to-child transmission of B. pseudomallei are rare and probably occur by placental or perinatal infection. We report the first case of native gestational and neonatal melioidosis in the Western hemisphere. The isolated strains in the mother and newborn were confirmed by whole-genome sequencing and identified as a novel sequence type ST1748. The comparison of both genomes revealed a nucleotide similarity of 100%. Melioidosis should be considered within the differential diagnosis of febrile illness or pneumonia in pregnant women and newborns from endemic areas of the Americas.
Insights
This study reports the first case of gestational and neonatal melioidosis in the Americas caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei. The findings highlight the need to consider melioidosis in febrile illnesses among pregnant women and newborns in endemic regions.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Background:
- Burkholderia pseudomallei is an emerging pathogen in the Americas.
- Mother-to-child transmission of B. pseudomallei is rare, likely occurring via placental or perinatal routes.

