Pseudomonas pseudomallei infection from drowning: the first reported case in Taiwan

We report a case of Pseudomonas pseudomallei infection, in which the patient acquired the bacteria by aspiration of river water after a drowning incident near Manila, the Philippines. The pulmonary form of melioidosis was noted at the onset, but septicemia developed at a later stage. Positive blood cultures were obtained 17 days after the accident. The patient was treated successfully with a combination of amikacin and cephalothin. This is the first report of P. pseudomallei infection documented in Taiwan.