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Volume 27, Number 6—June 2021
Dispatch

Melioidosis in Children, Brazil, 1989–2019

Rachel Ximenes Ribeiro Lima1Comments to Author  and Dionne Bezerra Rolim1
Author affiliations: Municipal Department of Health, Fortaleza, Brazil (R.X.R. Lima); University of Fortaleza Medical School (R.X.R. Lima, D.B. Rolim); Ceará State University, Fortaleza (D.B. Rolim)

Main Article

Table 2

Clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of children with melioidosis, Brazil, 1989–2019*

Pt Age, y/sex City Rainy season† Potential exposures‡ Pneumonia Sepsis Septic shock Diagnostic results Timely treatment# Outcome (time to death)¶
1
 0.25/M
 Fortaleza
 No
 Mother lived in rural area during pregnancy§
 No
 No
 No
 Pseudomonas pseudomallei in cerebrospinal fluid
 Yes
 Survived
2
 15/M
 Tejuçuoca
 Yes
 Swam in river
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 No test, met clinical epidemiologic criteria
 No
 Death (40 h)
3
 14/F
 Tejuçuoca
 Yes
 Swam in river
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 Burkholderia pseudomallei
 No
 Death (90 h)
4
 10/M
 Tejuçuoca
 Yes
 Swam in river
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 B. pseudomallei
 No
 Death (6 d)
5
 12/F
 Tejuçuoca
 Yes
 Swam in river
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 B. pseudomallei
 Yes
 Survived
6
 17/M
 Fortaleza
 Yes
 Bathed in river/waterfall
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 B. pseudomallei
 Yes
 Death (10 d)
7
 3/M
 São João do Jaguaribe
 Yes
 Swam in river
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 B. pseudomallei
 Yes
 Death (28 d)
8
 13/F
 Ipu
 No
 Bathed in waterfalls
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 B. pseudomallei
 No
 Death (10 d)
9
 3/F
 Granja
 Yes
 Swam in river, bathed in waterfalls
 Yes
 Yes
 No
 No test, met clinical epidemiologic criteria
 Yes
 Survived
10
 6/M
 Fortaleza
 No
 Swam in river, bathed in waterfalls
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 B. pseudomallei in bronchoalveolar lavage, met clinical epidemiologic criteria
 Yes
 Survived
11
 6/M
 Limoeiro do Norte
 No
 Swam in river, bathed in waterfalls, fished, drank contaminated water
 No
 No
 No
 Negative
 Yes
 Survived
12
 9/F
 Pacatuba
 No
 Swam in river, bathed in waterfalls
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 Negative
 Yes
 Death (5 d)
13
 13/M
 Guaiúba
 No
 Swam in river, bathed in waterfalls, fished
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 B. cepacea in oropharyngeal swab sample
Yes
 Survived
14
 1/F
 Fortaleza
 No
 Swam in untreated pool
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 Negative
 Yes
 Survived
15
 6/M
 Canindé
 Yes
 Swam in river/dams, fished
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 Negative
 No
 Death (8 d)
16
 3/M
 Fortaleza
 Yes
 Swam in lake/ played with soil
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 Negative
 Yes
 Survived
17
 9/F
 Canindé
 Yes
 Swam in river/dams, fished
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 Negative
 Yes
 Survived
18
 11/M
 Orós
 Yes
 Swam in river, fished
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 Negative
 Yes
 Survived
19
 14/M
 Trairí
 Yes
 Swam in river/dams, fished
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 Negative
 No
 Death (4 d)
20 9/M Trairí Yes Swam in river/dams, fished Yes Yes Yes Negative Yes Survived

*Cases 1–10 were confirmed according to diagnostic criteria (5,7); cases 11–20 were suspected. Pt, patient.
†Rainy season in Ceará, Brazil is February–May.
‡During 14 d before symptom onset.
¶From symptom onset. 
§Potential vertical transmission.
#As defined in (8).

Main Article

References
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Main Article

1These authors contributed equally to this article.

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