Probable airborne transmission of Burkholderia pseudomallei causing an urban outbreak of melioidosis during typhoon season in Hong Kong, China.

ABSTRACT: Between January 2015 and October 2022, 38 patients with culture-confirmed melioidosis were identified in the Kowloon West (KW) Region, Hong Kong. Notably, 30 of them were clustered in the Sham Shui Po (SSP) district, which covers an estimated area of 2.5 km². Between August and October 2022, 18 patients were identified in this district after heavy rainfall and typhoons. The sudden upsurge in cases prompted an environmental investigation, which involved collecting 20 air samples and 72 soil samples from residential areas near the patients. A viable isolate of Burkholderia pseudomallei was obtained from an air sample collected at a building site five days after a typhoon. B. pseudomallei DNA was also detected in 21 soil samples collected from the building site and ad

SUBMITTER: Wu WG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10155638 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature