Talking Points: Melioidosis (January 12, 2016)

Talking Points – Melioidosis (Whitmore’s disease)

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The following talking points can be used in conversations with the media and clients when discussing melioidosis (Whitmore’s disease). The bacteria causing melioidosis are found in contaminated water and soil, and is widespread in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. (January 12, 2016)

1. While no travel health advisories have been issued, travelers to parts of Asia, Southeast Asia and northern Australia should be aware of melioidosis (or Whitmore’s disease). The bacteria causing melioidosis are found in contaminated water and soil.

2. The risk to the average traveler is small and precautions can be taken to minimize one’s exposure.

3. We are here to assist our clients; the safety and well-being of our clients is our top priority.

Below you will find additional information, supporting material and statistics to help further illustrate each talking point.

1. While no travel health advisories have been issued, travelers to parts of Asia, Southeast Asia and northern Australia should be aware of melioidosis (or Whitmore’s disease). The bacteria causing melioidosis are found in contaminated water and soil.

 According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “melioidosis, also called Whitmore’s disease, is an infectious disease that can infect humans or animals.”

o It is predominately a disease of tropical climates, especially in Southeast Asia and northern Australia where it is widespread.

o The bacteria causing melioidosis are found in contaminated water and soil. It is spread to humans and animals through direct contact with the contaminated source.

o Humans and animals are believed to acquire the infection by inhalation of contaminated dust or water droplets, ingestion of contaminated water, and contact with contaminated soil, especially through skin abrasions.

 The CDC also reports that melioidosis is “endemic in Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea, much of the Indian subcontinent, southern China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan and is considered highly endemic in northeast Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and northern Australia.”

o “Sporadic cases have been reported among residents of or travelers to Aruba, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guadeloupe, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela, and many other countries in the Americas, as well as Puerto Rico. In northern Brazil, clusters of melioidosis have been reported and are associated with periods of heavy rainfall.”

 According to Reuters, “Researchers in the journal Nature Microbiology called for a bacterial infection called meliodosis, which is resistant to a wide range of antibiotics, to be given a higher priority by international health organizations and policy makers.

o “Melioidosis is a great mimicker of other diseases and you need a good microbiology laboratory for bacterial culture and identification to make an

 

accurate diagnosis,” said Direk Limmathurotsakul, a microbiologist and assistant professor at Thailand’s Mahidol University, who co-led the study.

o The researchers estimate there are 165,000 melioidosis cases a year in people, of which 89,000 will be fatal. These tolls are similar to those caused by measles – a viral infection that can be prevented with a vaccine – and far greater than dengue fever.

o The study found that the highest melioidosis risk zones are in South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific, including all countries in Southeast Asia and tropical Australia, sub-Saharan Africa and South America. There are also risk zones of varying sizes in Central America, southern Africa and the Middle East.

2. The risk to the average traveler is small and precautions can be taken to minimize one’s exposure.

 According to the CDC, “the risk is highest for adventure travelers, ecotourists, military personnel, construction and resource extraction workers, and other people whose contact with contaminated soil or water may expose them to the bacteria.”

 In the areas where the disease is widespread, people with open skin wounds and should avoid contact with soil and standing water.

 Travelers should use items such as waterproof boots and gloves to protect against contact with contaminated soil and water and thoroughly clean skin lacerations, abrasions, or burns that have been contaminated with soil or surface water.

 When a melioidosis infection is diagnosed, the disease can be treated with the use of appropriate medication:

o Ceftazidime, imipenem, or meropenem is used for initial treatment of 10–14 days, followed by 20–24 weeks of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.

3. As travel agents, our clients can take heart that they booked through us. We are an unbiased advocate and can offer them both assistance and peace-of-mind.

 We would not send our clients to a particular destination if we believe it to be unsafe. Should we become aware of an issue for a specific destination, we alert clients who may be planning to travel there and provide detailed information on the situation so they can make informed decisions for themselves if they still wish to travel.

 We strongly encourage all of our clients, whether they are traveling domestically or internationally, to purchase travel insurance, particularly right at the same time as travel has been booked. Travel insurance offers an additional layer of protection for travelers and can potentially help save a traveler hundreds or thousands of dollars if a medical or travel emergency occurs.

 We are advocates for our clients; and they know that by working with a true travel professional, we are there for them before, during, and after their trip should they need us – which gives them peace of mind.

 By working with a trusted travel professional, we can provide providing alternative travel arrangements should the need arise.

 Our business is founded on repeat customers. Therefore, we want to be sure everything goes off without a hitch.