Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Infection causing pneumonia - what to know about glanders
By He, Guanfeng et al.·Published in Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening·2023·Department of Respiration, China·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A Case Report ofInfection Leading to Pneumonia.
Plain-English summary
This case report discusses a rare disease called glanders, which is caused by a bacteria that can lead to serious infections in both humans and animals. A 60-year-old man with diabetes developed symptoms like coughing, fever, and mucus production, and tests showed that the infection affected parts of his lungs and lymph nodes. After confirming the infection through a biopsy and specialized testing, he was treated with an antibiotic called meropenem. Following treatment, he was able to leave the hospital, and follow-up scans showed that the inflammation in his lungs had improved. Overall, the treatment was successful in addressing the infection.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Glanders is a rare zoonotic disease caused by Burkholderia mallei. Humans can be infected by B. mallei, which causes cutaneous lymphadenitis and pneumonia, leading to sepsis and death in severe cases. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a 60-year-old male who was diagnosed with glanders. The patient who had a history of diabetes presented with cough, expectoration, and fever. Computed tomography (CT) imaging showed B. mallei infection in the right upper lobe of the lung with mediastinal lymph node involvement and the lingual segment of the left lung. Moreover, the posterior basal segment of the lower lobe of both lungs had inflammation. Subsequently, B. mallei infection was confirmed by lymph node biopsy and bronchoalveolar lavage multiplex PCR-based targeted gene sequencing. After meropenem treatment, the patient was discharged, and CT imaging showed reduced absorption of pulmonary inflammatory lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Glanders is a rare disease that can cause skin infection, lymphadenitis, and pneumonia, and in severe cases, it can be life-threatening. The diagnosis of this disease mainly relies on microbiological culture and pathological biopsy. Diagnosis is also facilitated by multiplex PCRbased targeted gene sequencing. Glanders is treated with cephalosporins, carbapenems, and other sensitive antibiotics.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35579163/