Melioidosis in Thailand
There are more than 2,500 culture-confirmed melioidosis in Thailand each year, and around 40% of them died. Therefore, it is estimated that more than 1,000 people died of culture-confirmed melioidosis each year. Incidence of melioidosis is increasing in Northeast Thailand. B. pseudomallei is now the second most common cause of community-acquired bacteremia in Northeast Thailand (19.3%), after E. coli (23.1%) and followed by S. aureus (8.2%).
The number of people death due to melioidosis is comparable to the number of people death due to tuberculosis and much higher than other common infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue, measles, and leptospirosis. The average cost per fatal case of melioidosis was around $14,500. Therefore, it could be estimated that at least each year, economic burden of fatal melioidosis in Thailand is at least $14,500,000 (or 435,000,000 Baht).
Infographic about melioidosis by Bureau of Epidemiology, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand (in Thai)
Thailand Annual Epidemiology Surveillance Report 2016 for melioidosis
Thailand Annual Epidemiology Surveillance Report 2015 for melioidosis
[English version was translated by Thailand Ministry of Public Health- US CDC Collaboration]