Melioidosis in New Caledonia: a dominant strain in a transmission hotspot

Abstract

SUMMARYMelioidosis is an infectious disease caused byBurkholderia pseudomallei, a bacterium endemic in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. In New Caledonia, sporadic cases were first described in 2005; since then, more cases have been identified. To improve our understanding of melioidosis epidemiology in New Caledonia, we compared the local cases andB. pseudomalleiisolates with those from endemic areas. Nineteen melioidosis cases have been diagnosed in New Caledonia since 1999, mostly severe and with frequent bacteraemia, leading to three (16%) fatalities. All but one occurred in the North Province. Besides sporadic cases caused by non-clonal strains, we also identified a hotspot of transmission related to a clonal group ofB. pseudomalleithat is phylogenetically related to Australian strains.