Tropical Medicine and
Infectious Disease
Article
Emergence of Melioidosis in Indonesia and
Today’s Challenges
Patricia M. Tauran 1,2, *, Sri Wahyunie 3 , Farahanna Saad 4 , Andaru Dahesihdewi 5 ,
Mahrany Graciella 6 , Munawir Muhammad 7 , Delly Chipta Lestari 8 , Aryati Aryati 9 ,
Ida Parwati 10 , Tonny Loho 11 , Dewi Indah Noviana Pratiwi 12 , Vivi Keumala Mutiawati 13 ,
Ricke Loesnihari 14 , Dewi Anggraini 15 , Siwipeni Irmawanti Rahayu 16 ID ,
Wahyu Nawang Wulan 2 , Ungke Antonjaya 2 , David A. B. Dance 17,18,19 ID , Bart J. Currie 20 ID ,
Direk Limmathuthurotsakul 18,21 , Mansyur Arif 1,2 , Abu Tholib Aman 2,22,† ,
Ni Nyoman Sri Budayanti 23,† and Diah Iskandriati 24,† for Indonesia Melioidosis Network
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Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Hasanuddin/Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo
Hospital, Makassar 90245, Indonesia;
[email protected]
Indonesia Research Partnership on Infectious Diseases (INA-RESPOND), Jakarta 10560, Indonesia;
[email protected] (W.N.W.);
[email protected] (U.A.);
[email protected] (A.T.A.)
Laboratory of Clinical Pathology, Abdul Wahab Sjahranie Hospital, Samarinda 75123, Indonesia;
[email protected]
Laboratory of Clinical Pathology, Tarakan Hospital, Jakarta10150, Indonesia;
[email protected]
Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas GadjahMada/Sardjito Hospital,
Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia;
[email protected]
Laboratory of Clinical Pathology, Prof. Dr. WZ Johannes Hospital, Kupang 85112, Indonesia;
[email protected]
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Hasanuddin/Hasanuddin University
Hospital, Makassar 90245, Indonesia;
[email protected]
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia/Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital,
Jakarta 10430, Indonesia;
[email protected]
Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga/Dr. Soetomo Hospital,
Surabaya 60286, Indonesia;
[email protected]
Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Padjadjaran/Hasan Sadikin Hospital,
Bandung 40161, Indonesia;
[email protected]
Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia/Cipto Mangunkusumo
Hospital, Jakarta 10430, Indonesia;
[email protected]
Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Lambung Mangkurat/Ulin Hospital,
Banjarmasin 70233, Indonesia;
[email protected]
Laboratory of Clinical Pathology, Dr. Zainoel Abidin Hospital, Banda Aceh 24415, Indonesia;
[email protected]
Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara/H. Adam Malik
Hospital, North Sumatera 20136, Indonesia;
[email protected]
Laboratory of Microbiology, Eka Hospital, Pekanbaru 28293, Indonesia;
[email protected]
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya/Saiful Anwar Hospital,
Malang 65112, Indonesia;
[email protected]
Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital,
Vientiane, Laos;
[email protected]
Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine,
Old Road Campus, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK;
[email protected]
Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,
London WC1E 7HT, UK
Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases Division, Menzies School of Health Research,
Casuarina, Northern Territory 0811, Australia;
[email protected]
Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University,
Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada/Sardjito Hospital,
Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2018, 3, 32; doi:10.3390/tropicalmed3010032
www.mdpi.com/journal/tropicalmed
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2018, 3, 32
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†
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Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Udayana/Sanglah Hospital,
Bali 80113, Indonesia;
[email protected]
Primate Research Center, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor 16151, Indonesia;
[email protected]
Correspondence:
[email protected] ; Tel.: +62-812-812-4114
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Received: 29 January 2018; Accepted: 7 March 2018; Published: 13 March 2018
Abstract: A recent modeling study estimated that there could be as many as 20,000 human melioidosis
cases per year in Indonesia, with around 10,000 potential deaths annually. Nonetheless, the true
burden of melioidosis in Indonesia is still unknown. The Indonesia Melioidosis Network was formed
during the first melioidosis workshop in 2017. Here, we reviewed 101 melioidosis cases (99 human
and two animal cases) previously reported and described an additional 45 human melioidosis cases.
All 146 culture-confirmed cases were found in Sumatra (n = 15), Java (n = 104), Kalimantan (n = 15),
Sulawesi (n = 11) and Nusa Tenggara (n = 1). Misidentification of Burkholderia pseudomallei was not
uncommon, and most cases were only recently identified. We also evaluated clinical manifestations
and outcome of recent culture-confirmed cases between 2012 and 2017 (n = 42). Overall, 15 (36%) cases
were children (age <15 years) and 27 (64%) were adults (age ≥15 years). The overall mortality was
43% (18/42). We conducted a survey and found that 57% (327/548) of healthcare workers had never
heard of melioidosis. In conclusion, melioidosis is endemic throughout Indonesia and associated
with high mortality. We propose that top priorities are increasing awareness of melioidosis amongst
all healthcare workers, increasing the use of bacterial culture, and ensuring accurate identification of
B. pseudomalleiand diagnosis of melioidosis.
Keywords: Burkholderia pseudomallei; melioidosis; Indonesia
1. Introduction
Melioidosis in Indonesia was first diagnosed in Cikande, on Java island, in 1929 [1]. From then
to 1960, a few additional cases were reported in Jakarta, Bogor and Surabaya, on Java island [2–5].
More recent reports concerned four culture-confirmed melioidosis cases among tsunami survivors in
Banda Aceh, Sumatra, in 2005 [6], 51 culture-confirmed melioidosis patients in Malang, Java from 2011
to 2013 [7], and three culture-confirmed melioidosis patients in Makassar and Luwu Timur, Sulawesi,
in 2013 [8]. Nonetheless, the reported cases are likely to be the tip of the iceberg and the true burden of
melioidosis in Indonesia is still unclear.
A recent modeling study estimated the annual number of human melioidosis cases in Indonesia
at 20,038, with 10,224 deaths annually if mortality was 51% [9]. This alarming estimate is possible,
considering that, in Indonesia with a total population of about 260 million, about 1.6 million die every
year, and about 350,000 and 150,000 of those who die are estimated to have communicable diseases
and diabetes, respectively, defined as the primary causes of death using International Classification
of Diseases (ICD) principles and Global Burden of Disease (GBD) analysis [10]. If melioidosis was
an undiagnosed contributory cause in only 2% of these, this would account for 10,000 deaths [9].
The under-diagnosis and under-reporting of melioidosis worldwide are considered to be due to a
lack of diagnostic microbiology laboratories serving the poor rural populations that are at greatest
risk of infection, and a lack of awareness of the disease amongst physicians and laboratory staff [9,11].
Even good microbiological laboratories may initially miss the diagnosis and discard B. pseudomallei as
a contaminant, especially in non-endemic areas [9,12]. Recent evidence suggests that, in Indonesia,
where melioidosis is possibly highly endemic countrywide [9], capacity and utilization of bacterial
cultures is limited [13], that misidentification of B. pseudomallei as another species or a contaminant is
common, and that awareness of the disease among physicians and laboratory staff is very low [6–8].
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Under a collaboration between Primate Research Center, Bogor Agricultural University and
Health Security Partners (HSP), a workshop on ‘Melioidosis: Detection, Diagnosis, Treatment and
Prevention Using a One-Health Approach’ was held in Bogor, Indonesia, from 14 to 16 August
2017. A total of four doctors, 12 veterinarians, seven microbiologists, one clinical pathologist and 16
other healthcare providers from 33 institutions attended, and the potential burden and challenges
of melioidosis were discussed among participants. The Indonesia Melioidosis Network was formed
during the meeting. In addition, the Indonesian Association of Clinical Microbiologists (PAMKI) held
a session on ‘Epidemiology and Clinical Aspect of Melioidosis’ during their Annual Scientific Meeting
in Padang, from 12 to 14 October 2017, and more evidence of melioidosis in Indonesia was additionally
reported at this meeting.
Here, we review the known and additional evidence of melioidosis in Indonesia, present the
results of a surveillance study showing awareness and knowledge of the disease and the organism
among healthcare providers in Indonesia, and discuss the needs and future challenges to save lives
from melioidosis in Indonesia.
2. Melioidosis Cases and Presence of B. pseudomallei in Indonesia
We performed (1) a retrospective review of published or reported melioidosis cases in Indonesia,
(2) a retrospective study to identify unpublished culture-confirmed melioidosis cases in hospitals in
which the microbiology laboratories had isolated B. pseudomallei from clinical specimens, and (3) a
retrospective study to evaluate clinical manifestations of recent culture-confirmed patients from 2012
to 2017.
Firstly, we searched PubMed and SCOPUS for indigenous cases of melioidosis reported in
Indonesia between 1 January 1921 and 30 November 2017, using the MeSH terms ‘melioidosis’
or ‘pseudomallei’. We also searched bibliographies from selected studies for secondary references.
Our search included literature in English, Dutch, German and Indonesian.
In addition to the 64 melioidosis cases previously reviewed [8], we found an additional 35
culture-confirmed human melioidosis cases and two animal cases (Table 1 and Figure 1). Prior to
1960, two additional cases were reported in Cimahi [14] and Salatiga [15] on Java island. We found
that an additional report by Verbunt et al. in 1937 [16] was the same case described by Sudibyo [4].
All other cases were recently reported. The first animal case was reported in 2014, being a 3-year-old
cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) raised at Primate Research Center, Bogor [17]. At the
15th Asia-Pacific Congress on Clinical Microbiology and Infection in 2014, a human melioidosis
case was reported from Medan, Sumatra [18]. At the first National Melioidosis Workshop in 2017,
a human melioidosis case from Yogyakarta, Java [19], 13 cases from Abdul Wahab Sjahranie Hospital,
Samarinda, East Kalimantan, eight cases from Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital, Makassar,
South Sulawesi, and one case from Prof. Dr. WZ Johannes Hospital, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara,
were reported [20]. At the PAMKI meeting 2017, nine melioidosis cases presenting at Eka Hospital,
Pekanbaru, Sumatra [21], and the second animal case from Samboja, Kalimantan [22] were reported.
The animal was a Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) of unknown age from the Borneo Orangutan
Survival Foundation in Samboja, East Kalimantan. Both animal cases died shortly after clinical
presentation, and the diagnosis was made post-mortem [17,22].
Secondly, to evaluate whether melioidosis had been diagnosed by routine microbiological
laboratories in Indonesia but had not been reported, at the first National Melioidosis Workshop
and at the PAMKI meeting, we requested participants to review the microbiology laboratory results
in their hospitals to determine whether B. pseudomallei had been identified. To avoid duplication,
cases that had already been reported (Table 1) were not included.
We received information of an additional 45 melioidosis cases (Table 2). A total of 18 and five
culture-confirmed melioidosis cases were observed at Sardjito Hospital, Yogyakarta, and at Tarakan
Hospital, Jakarta, respectively, from 2012 to 2017. In addition, B. pseudomallei was isolated from clinical
specimens at Dr. Zainoel Abidin Hospital, Banda Aceh (n = 1), Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2018, 3, 32
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(n = 4), a private laboratory (Granostic), Surabaya (n = 8), Ulin Hospital, Banjarmasin (n = 1) and Hasan
Sadikin Hospital, Bandung (n = 8).
Figure 1 shows the locations of all 146 cases (144 human cases and two animal cases) noted in this
article (Tables 1 and 2). Locations were towns where the cases were living or likely to have acquired
melioidosis, where such information was available. In the event that the patients’ home addresses
were not available, the address of the hospitals where the patients presented were used.
Thirdly, we also requested permission to analyze anonymous information of patients diagnosed
from 2012 to 2017 to describe clinical manifestations and outcome of recent cases of melioidosis in
Indonesia (Table 3). The retrospective study was approved by the education and research departments
of five participating hospitals. Overall, we obtained anonymous data of 45 human cases available
from Yogyakarta (n = 18), Samarinda (n = 13), Makassar (n = 8), Jakarta (n = 5) and Kupang (n = 1).
We excluded three cases with incomplete data.
Of 42 patients included in the analysis, five (12%) were neonates (age <1 month). One and four
neonatal cases were observed in Jakarta and Yogyakarta, respectively. All five neonatal cases were
blood culture-positive for B. pseudomallei, and three of them died. Another seven cases were found in
infants (age 1 month to <2 years) and three cases in children (age 2 to <15 years). Thus, of the total,
15 (36%) cases were children (age <15 years) and 27 (64%) were adults (age ≥15 years). Diabetes was
the most commonly identified risk factor amongst adults (Table 3), 60% of the cases (25/42) were blood
culture-positive for B. pseudomallei, and the overall mortality was 43% (18/42).
Specimens, diagnostic methods, and antibiotic susceptibility results of those 42 cases with
complete clinical data are described in Table 4. Of the 42 cases, only 15 (36%) had antibiotic susceptibility
test (AST) results available. We were informed that AST was often not routinely performed for
B. pseudomallei because the laboratory staff did not know the correct standard operating procedures,
quality control and guidelines on how to handle and perform AST on B. pseudomallei. As some AST
results were not typical for B. pseudomallei, including those previously reported from Malang [7],
we note that the AST results may be inaccurate or some isolates might not actually be B. pseudomallei.
As isolates are not routinely kept in Indonesia, a retrospective study for further evaluation is
not possible.
Nonetheless, a total of 10 isolates (five from Samarinda and five from Makassar) reported as
B. pseudomallei were sent to the Indonesia Research Partnership on Infectious Disease (INA-RESPOND)
reference laboratory at Tangerang Regional General Hospital for further characterisation. In addition,
16S rRNA gene sequencing [23] and a PCR assay targeting the type III secretion system of
B. pseudomallei [24] were performed. Nine of ten isolates were confirmed as B. pseudomallei by PCR.
One isolate from Makassar was later identified as Burkholderia stabilis using 16s sequence analysis.
The patient was a 77 year-old male presenting with an acute ischaemic stroke. The positive blood
culture was obtained 19 days after hospital admission due to a lack of clinical improvement of alteration
of consciousness, and the patient had no other signs and symptoms of sepsis, suggesting that B. stabilis
was probably a contaminant. This case was not included in the list of melioidosis cases described
above. This also supports our hypothesis that some isolates reported as B. pseudomallei might be other
bacteria, and that training for B. pseudomallei identification is critically needed, country-wide.
Details of these nine confirmed isolates and associated clinical manifestations are described in
Table 5. Further studies on the nine isolates, including AST, multilocus-sequence typing and whole
genome sequence typing, are in progress.
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Table 1. Previously reported indigenous human and animal melioidosis cases in Indonesia (n = 101 cases).
Year Presented
(References)
Locations
Age(Years)/Gender, Nationality
1929 [1]
Cikande, Java
50/M, Indonesian
Clinical Characteristics
Diagnostic Method
Outcome
Chronic painless nodules in the left thigh
Culture of pus (biochemistry, phenotypic
tests and virulence in animal model)
Died
Culture of pus (biochemistry, phenotypic
tests and virulence in animal model)
Died
1934 [2]
Jakarta, Java
38/M, Indonesian
Severe sepsis with pulmonary, splenic and
prostatic abscesses
1935 [3]
Surabaya, Java
25/F, Indonesian
Abscess in the right gluteal region
Culture of pus (biochemistry, phenotypic
tests and virulence in animal model)
Fully recovered
1936 [4,16]
Bogor, Java
60/M, Indonesian
Skin lesion with ulcers on right lower leg
after trauma
Culture of pus (biochemistry and
phenotypic tests)
Fully recovered
1937 [4]
Jakarta, Java
55/M, Indonesian
Abscess left foot, originated from minor
trauma while farming
Culture of pus (biochemistry and
phenotypic tests)
Fully recovered
1938 [14] *
Cimahi, Java
48/Unknown, European
Pneumonia and splenic abscess
Culture of pus (biochemistry, phenotypic
tests and virulence in animal model)
1950 [5]
Surabaya, Java
28/F, European
Pain in the lower abdomen and high fever
Culture of abscess from the right ovary
(biochemistry and phenotypic tests)
1958 [15] *
Salatiga, Java
Unknown
Diarrhoea
Culture of stool (biochemistry and
phenotypic tests)
2005 [6]
Banda Aceh, Sumatra
4 patients; 15/F, 18 mo/M,
10/F and 13/F
Pneumonia
Culture of sputum (API20NE)
2011–2013 [7]
Malang, Java
51 patients (unknown age
and sex)
Unknown
Culture of sputum, blood, pus and urine
(VITEK2)
2012 [17] *
Bogor, Java
3/Unknown,
cynomolgus monkey
General weakness, decreased appetite,
dehydration and cough
Culture of pus (VITEK2)
Sepsis (n = 1), neck abscess, sepsis and
pneumonia (n = 1), and abscess behind the
left ear lobe (n = 1)
Culture of blood (n = 1) and pus
(n = 2) (VITEK2)
Died
Fully recovered
Died
Fully recovered (n = 1) or
reported as improving (n = 3)
Unknown
Died
2013–2014 [8]
Luwu Timur (n = 1) and
Makassar (n = 2), Sulawesi
3 patients; 41/M,
45/F and 26/M, Indonesian
2013 [19] *
Yogyakarta, Java
53/F, Indonesian
Neck abscess, pain and dyspnoea.
Culture of pus (Microbact)
Fully recovered
Medan, Sumatra
13/M, Indonesian
Fever, dry cough, weight loss and
abdominal abscesses
Culture of pus (VITEK2)
Fully recovered
Samboja, Kalimantan
Unknown age and sex,
Borneo orangutan
Loss of appetite, malaise, less active and
apparent fever.
Culture of lung, spleen,
and livertissue (VITEK2)
Died
2010–2017 [21] *
Pekanbaru, Sumatra
9 patients (mean age 52 years;
range 34–67 years), all males and
all Indonesian
Pneumonia, sepsis, abscess, cellulitis,
osteomyelitis, pericarditis, seizure and
decreased consciousness, and chronic
suppurative otitis media with
intratemporal complication.
Culture of sputum (n = 4), blood (n = 3)
and pus (n = 3) (VITEK2)
Unknown
2014–2017 [20] *
Samarinda, Kalimantan (n = 13),
Makassar, Sulawesi (n = 8) and
Kupang, Nusa Tenggara (n = 1)
22 patients (median age
53.5 years; range 4–69 years),
15 males and 7 females,
and all Indonesian
Sepsis, pneumonia, alteration of
consciousness, and localized abscesses
Culture of blood (n = 11), pus (n = 7),
tissue (n = 2) and urine (n = 2) (VITEK2)
(PCR assay targeting type III secretion
system in 9 cases)
Died (n = 9), Fully recovered
(n = 9), and Unknown (n = 4)
2014 [18] *
2017 [22] *
* Not included in the recent review of melioidosis in Indonesia, published in 2015 [8].
Died (n = 2) or lost to
follow-up (n = 1)
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Table 2. Newly reported indigenous melioidosis human cases in Indonesia (n = 45 cases).
Year Presented
Locations
Age(years)/Gender, Nationality
Clinical Characteristics
2010
Ulin Hospital, Banjarmasin,
Kalimantan
Diagnostic Method
Unknown/M
Unknown
Culture of blood (VITEK2)
2010–2017
Private laboratory, Surabaya, Java
8 patients (unknown)
Unknown
Culture of sputum (n = 4), blood (n = 2),
urine (n = 1) and nasopharyngeal swab
(n = 1) (VITEK2)
Unknown
2012–2016
Hasan Sadikin Hospital,
Bandung, Java
8 patients (unknown)
Unknown
Culture of blood (n = 5), body fluid
(n = 3; unknown type of body fluid),
pus (n = 1) (VITEK2)
Unknown
2012–2017
Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital,
Jakarta, Java
4 patients (unknown)
Unknown
Culture of blood (n = 1), pus (n = 1),
sputum (n = 1), cerebrospinal fluid
(n = 1) (VITEK2)
Unknown
2012–2017
Tarakan Hospital, Jakarta, Java
5 patients, 1 mo/M, 3 mo/M, 10 do/M,
2 mo/M and 59/M
Pneumonia (2), diarrhoea (1),
alteration of consciousness (2)
Culture of blood (n = 4) and sputum
(n = 1) (Microgen)
Died (n = 2), Fully
recovered (n = 3)
2012–2017
Sardjito Hospital,
Yogyakarta, Java
18 patients (median age 7.5 years;
range 1 day–78 years), 13 males and
5 females, and all Indonesian
Sepsis, pneumonia, alteration of
conscious, localized abscesses
and urinary tract infection.
Culture of blood (n = 11), pus (n = 3),
and urine (n = 5) (VITEK2)
Died (n = 7), Fully
recovered (n = 11)
2017
Zainoel Abidin Hospital, Banda
Aceh, Sumatra
33/M
Unknown
Culture of endotracheal
secretion (Vitek2)
Outcome
Died
Unknown
Table 3. Demographic data, clinical presentations, risk factors and outcomes of 42 culture-confirmed melioidosis cases with available clinical data from 2012 to 2017.
Characteristics
Demographic information
Median age (IQR and range)
Male sex
Organ involvement *
Bacteraemia
Pneumonia
Skin and Soft tissue
Genitourinary
Osteomyelitis
Neurological
Total Patients (n = 42)
Pediatric Patients (n = 15)
Adult Patients (n = 27)
41.5y (8.8m–56y, 1d–78y
32 (76%)
2m (10d–9.5m, 1d–11y)
10 (67%)
55y (47–59.5y, 21–78y)
22 (82%)
25 (60%)
11 (25%)
9 (21%)
7 (17%)
1 (3%)
1 (3%)
14 (93%)
3 (20%)
1 (7%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
11 (41%)
8 (30%)
8 (30%)
7 (26%)
1 (4%)
1 (4%)
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Table 3. Cont.
Characteristics
Total Patients (n = 42)
Pediatric Patients (n = 15)
Adult Patients (n = 27)
Known risk factors **
Diabetes mellitus
Chronic kidney disease
Chronic liver disease
Malignancy
Alcohol abuse
Chronic lung disease
Malnutrition
None known
15 (36%)
5 (12%)
2 (5%)
2 (5%)
1 (2%)
1 (2%)
1 (2%)
21 (50%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
1 (7%)
14 (93%)
15 (56%)
5 (19%)
2 (7%)
2 (7%)
1 (4%)
1 (4%)
0 (0%)
7 (26%)
Outcomes
Full recovery
Died
Unknown
23 (55%)
18 (43%)
1 (2%)
8 (53%)
7 (47%)
0 (0%)
15 (56%)
11 (41%)
1 (4%)
* Bacteraemia was defined as blood culture positive for B. pseudomallei. Pneumonia was defined as a clinical diagnosis of pneumonia made by attending physicians (n = 7), having
productive cough at clinical presentation (n = 5) or sputum culture positive for B. pseudomallei (n = 1). Skin and soft tissue involvement was defined as infections of non-skeletal tissue
surrounding or supporting organs and other structures including subcutaneous tissue, muscle and lymph nodes (n = 9) or pus culture positive for B. pseudomallei (n = 8). Genitourinary
involvement was defined as urine culture positive for B. pseudomallei (n = 7). Osteomyelitis was defined as infection of bone (n = 1) or pus from bone culture positive for B. pseudomallei
(n = 1); Neurological involvement was defined in a case presenting with sepsis and left hemiplegia. ** Risk factors were defined based on diagnoses made by attending physicians. Six
adult patients had two known risk factors. IQR: Interquartile range.
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Table 4. Specimens, diagnostic method and reported but unverified antibiotic susceptibility test results
in 42 culture-confirmed melioidosis cases with available clinical data from 2012 to 2017.
Characteristics
Total (n = 42)
Specimens *
Blood
Pus
Urine
Tissue **
Sputum
25 (60%)
8 (19%)
7 (17%)
2 (5%)
1 (2%)
Diagnostic method
Vitek 2 identification system
Microgen
37 (88%)
5 (12%)
Antibiotic susceptibility test
Not done
Done ***
Gentamicin (S)
Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (S)
Ceftazidime (S)
Doxycycline (S)
Meropenem (S)
Imipenem (S)
Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (S)
27 (64%)
0/13 (0%)
2/5 (40%)
12/14 (86%)
7/9 (78%)
14/15 (93%)
2/2 (100%)
6/7 (86%)
* One adult patient had two culture-positive specimens. ** Tibial tissue (1), scrotal tissue (1). *** Data are number of
isolates demonstrating susceptibility to the antimicrobial over the total number of isolates tested (%). Data are from
the microbiology laboratories that had isolated B. pseudomallei from clinical specimens. Some AST results were not
typical for B. pseudomallei, including resistance to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ceftazidime, doxycycline, meropenem
and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. We note that the AST results may be inaccurate or some isolates might not
actually be B. pseudomallei.
Figure 1. Location of 146 melioidosis cases. Black dots represent locations of 99 previously-reported
human cases, red stars represent locations of two previously-reported animal cases and red
dots represent locations of 45 newly-reported human cases. An interactive map is available at
melioidosis.info website [25].
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Table 5. Demographics of nine patients with B. pseudomallei confirmed with PCR assays *.
Bacterial Strain
Year of Isolation/
Location of Isolation
Strain Source/Clinical Manifestations
Outcome
HBPMS00001
2015/Konawe,
Southeast Sulawesi
Tibial tissue of 55-year old male patient presenting
with open wounds with purulent discharge from
legs, cough and fatigue
Fully recovered
HBPSK00002
2016/Samarinda,
East Kalimantan
HBPMS00003
2016/Kolaka,
Southeast Sulawesi
Blood of 56-year-old female patient presenting
with decreased consciousness, generalized seizure,
focal seizure of hand, headache, fever,
swollen knee.
Died
HBPMS00004
2016/Luwu Utara,
South Sulawesi
Pus of 39-year-old female patient presenting with
lump on neck and weight loss.
Fully recovered
HBPMS00005
2016/Pinrang,
South Sulawesi
Blood of 53-year-old male patient presenting with
decreased consciuousness, fever, productive cough,
shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, abdominal
pain and bloating. Icteric sclera and skin. Left leg
swollen, pain and tenderness.
Died
HBPSK00001
2016/Kutai Timur,
East Kalimantan
Blood of 4-year-old female patient presenting with
fever, petechiae, poor appetite, anaemia
Died
HBPSK00003
2016/Kutai Timur,
East Kalimantan
Pus of 37-year-old female patient presenting with
skin ulcer on neck, fever
Fully recovered
HBPSK00004
2017/Kutai Kartanegara,
East Kalimantan
Blood of 61-year-old male patient presenting with
right hemiplegia, fever, decreased consciousness.
Died
HBPSK00005
2016/Samarinda,
East Kalimantan
Urine of 44-year-old male patient presenting with
fever, abscess on knee
Fully recovered
Pus of 55-year-old female patient with unknown
clinical characteristics
Unknown
* 16S rRNA gene sequencing [23] and a PCR assay targeting the type III secretion system of B. pseudomallei [24].
3. Current Recommendations and Availability of Measures against Melioidosis
Currently, there are no national guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of melioidosis
in Indonesia. In response to the evidence of the emergence of melioidosis in Indonesia, the international
consensus guidelines for diagnosis [11] and treatment [26] of melioidosis have been recommended by
the Indonesian Melioidosis Network.
At the first melioidosis workshop, it was recommended that the top priority was to provide
education about melioidosis to all clinicians including general practitioners, internists, paediatricians,
surgeons, and neurologists, at the hospitals where melioidosis cases have been found (Tables 1 and 2).
This could be done by clinical pathologists or microbiologists at case reviews or local meetings in each
hospital. Clinicians should be advised to consider melioidosis in any patients presenting with a fever,
and communication between clinicians and laboratory staff is recommended if melioidosis is highly
suspected; for example, diabetic patients presenting with community-acquired sepsis. Abdul Wahab
Sjahranie Hospital, Samarinda has already introduced these steps since September 2016, and the
clinicians’ response has been positive, with communication between clinicians and laboratory staff
occurring for suspected cases and for specimens collected. Two melioidosis cases were diagnosed
in 2017 after the implementation of the measures described above. It is important for melioidosis to
be included in the curriculum of all medical schools in Indonesia in the future as meliodosis is not
currently included in the curricula of any of the medical schools in the country.
Secondly, a simple and easy-to-perform laboratory algorithm for the identification of
B. pseudomallei from clinical samples, such as that described by Trinh et al. [27], should be implemented
in all microbiological laboratories in Indonesia. Future plans include the delivery of a workshop on how
to prepare Ashdown agar, identification of B. pseudomallei, antibiotic susceptibility testing, and biosafety
issues at a national meeting for laboratory staff. Again, in the longer term, these should be included
routinely in training programmes for laboratory technicians. Although Vitek 2 is the most common
method used for identification of Gram-negative bacilli in Indonesia, there have been some problems
with its use for the identification of B. pseudomallei, which may have led to under-reporting [28–30].
The BD Phoenix is also used for identification of isolates in some large hospitals in Indonesia. However,
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2018, 3, 32
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B. pseudomallei is not in the Phoenix database [31], and misidentification of all B. pseudomallei isolates
as B. cepacia is probably occurring in those institutions [31]. These issues will need to be urgently
addressed. Microbiology laboratories in Indonesia that need confirmatory tests for isolates suspected
as B. pseudomallei, can send them to the INA-RESPOND reference laboratory for confirmation by PCR.
4. Surveillance Systems and Reporting of Melioidosis in Indonesia
Melioidosis is not currently a notifiable disease in Indonesia. We are initially considering the
establishment of an online system to enable reporting of melioidosis cases from all microbiology
hospital laboratories in Indonesia, particularly from those in the Indonesia Melioidosis Network.
The system could be similar to ProMED-mail [32] or that of the International Melioidosis Society [25]
but specific to Indonesia. The other option would be to use either of these currently running systems.
The appropriate surveillance system will be discussed further at the next meeting of the Indonesia
Melioidosis Network.
The aim of reporting is to understand the distribution, morbidity and mortality of culture-confirmed
melioidosis cases in Indonesia. We are certain that the 146 culture-confirmed melioidosis cases observed
to date are just the tip of the iceberg, and continuing and enhancing the reporting system will provide a
better understanding of the true burden and distribution of the disease. The results of this surveillance
system should be used to encourage health policy makers and the infectious diseases network in
Indonesia to give melioidosis the priority it deserves.
5. Awareness of Melioidosis in Indonesia
A questionnaire was developed to evaluate medical practitioners’ knowledge and awareness
of melioidosis. From 21 August to 4 October 2017, an online questionnaire using Google forms
was distributed by the WhatsApp application to multiple formal and informal networks of medical
researchers in Indonesia. To reduce response bias, we embedded questions about awareness of
melioidosis amongst those on other infectious diseases, including dengue and typhoid. Approval
for the study was obtained from the Faculty Medicine Hasanuddin University Ethics Committee,
Makassar, Indonesia.
A total of 568 participants completed the questionnaire. The median age of participants was
33 years (IQR 29–36; range 20–65 years), and 196 (34%) were male. Their occupations were general
practitioner (n = 373, 66%), clinical pathologist (n = 75, 13%), internist (n = 45, 8%), pulmonologist
(n = 14, 2%), paediatrician (n = 9, 2%), obstetrician (n = 9, 2%), neurologist (n = 8, 1%), ophthalmologist
(n = 8, 1%), anaesthesiologist (n = 5, 1%), surgeon (n = 5, 1%), cardiologist, (n = 4, 1%) and others
(n = 13, 2%). Participants were from Sulawesi (n = 231, 41%), Java (n = 213, 38%), Kalimantan (n = 50,
9%), Sumatra (n = 28, 5%), Maluku (n = 16, 3%), Papua (n = 16, 3%), Nusa Tenggara (n = 7, 1%) and
Bali (n = 6, 1%).
A total of 323 (57%) participants reported that they had never heard of melioidosis, while all
participants reported that they had heard of dengue and typhoid. Only 44% of participants (n = 249)
accurately answered that melioidosis was caused by a bacterium, while 184, 21 and 114 answered
that melioidosis was caused by a parasite, a virus and ‘I don’t know’, respectively. 98% (n = 555)
and 95% (n = 539) accurately answered that dengue and typhoid were caused by a virus and a
bacterium, respectively. Only 153 participants (27%) accurately answered that the recommended
diagnostic tests for melioidosis included blood or urine culture (n = 151 and 60, respectively), 285 (50%)
answered ‘I don’t know’ how to diagnose melioidosis, and the remaining participants answered
inaccurately that the recommended diagnostic tests for melioidosis were stool exam (n = 19, 3%) or
did not include bacterial culture (n = 111, 20%). Only 101 participants (18%) accurately answered
that the recommended treatment for melioidosis included ceftazidime (n = 101), 231 (41%) answered
‘I don’t know’ how to treat melioidosis, and the remaining participants answered inaccurately that
the recommended treatments for melioidosis were chloramphenicol (n = 56, 10%), fluoroquinolones
(n = 14, 2%), antivirals (n = 24, 4%), supportive treatment without appropriate antibiotics (n = 137,
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2018, 3, 32
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24%), or fluid management without appropriate antibiotics (n = 5, 1%). Eighty-seven percent of the
participants stated that MoH should promote education about melioidosis to healthcare workers
(n = 492) and that MoH should promote awareness of melioidosis to lay people (n = 495).
The results of this online questionnaire shows that knowledge about melioidosis is limited among
healthcare workers in Indonesia. Education about melioidosis for medical students should be initiated
immediately countrywide, and melioidosis should be included in continuing medical education
in Indonesia.
Limitations of this online questionnaire include the uneven distribution of participants, and that
awareness and knowledge might be underestimated by the biased sampling or overestimated because
the study was conducted after the first melioidosis workshop.
6. Current and Future Challenges
We consider that increasing awareness of melioidosis amongst all healthcare workers is the
top priority; however, support from all stakeholders is needed. Awareness amongst veterinary
professionals also needs to be improved as infections with B. pseudomallei have been identified in
domestic animals and also certain wildlife including non-human primates (NHP) [33–37].
The second challenge is to increase the use of bacterial culture in Indonesia. In this respect,
the under-diagnosis of melioidosis is just a reflection of a generalized limited capacity and
under-utilization of diagnostic microbiology in the country. Diagnostic microbiology services in
Indonesia face multiple challenges, including: (1) the size and configuration of the Indonesian
archipelago, which makes the provision of equitable microbiology services to all parts of the country
difficult; (2) the limited number of trained laboratory staff relative to the total population of Indonesia;
and (3) historical limitations in the financial and regulatory support from government to develop
microbiology services. To overcome these problems, the Indonesian government has established a new
national regulation, which includes the provision of microbiology services as one of the requirements
for hospital accreditation. This new national regulation has been being implemented gradually in
all government hospitals since 2018. We hope that, over the next few years, Indonesia will be able to
increase its microbiological capacity considerably.
To improve diagnosis of melioidosis, not only does the capacity of clinical microbiology
laboratories need to be expanded [13], but all healthcare workers should also be informed about
the importance of bacterial culture in patients presenting with sepsis [38]. Recent evidence suggests
that bacterial culture is under-utilized in Indonesia compared to the country’s health expenditure,
and this could be related to the reimbursement system for bacterial culture, local customs and practice
of clinicians, and a lack of support from related stakeholders and organizations [13].
The third challenge is biosafety and biosecurity, as B. pseudomallei is classified as a Tier 1 (top
tier) Select Agent in the United States that can affect both humans and animals and possibly cause
occupational infections [39]. Biosafety guidance for laboratories is needed. All laboratories where
melioidosis cases have been found should be evaluated for their facilities, safe practices, and biosecurity
with additional training and resources provided if necessary.
Drug availability is not a challenge in Indonesia. Ceftazidime and carbapenems are widely
available throughout the country, and may be used and reimbursed within Indonesia’s universal
health system if the diagnosis can be made.
Future challenges, after diagnosis of melioidosis is improved and if the burden of melioidosis
is shown to be as high as expected [9], are to prevent melioidosis by reducing exposure, for example
by wearing protective gear such as rubber boots and gloves during exposure to soil. Preventive
measures are most important for people with the following conditions: diabetes, heavy alcohol
consumption, kidney disease, lung disease, cancer, receiving immunosuppressive therapy and cuts
or sores on the skin. Indonesia is an agricultural country, in which the majority of the population
are rice farmers, and more than 10 million people are diabetics. It is known that changing behaviour
is complex, and a multifaceted intervention is required. In Thailand, there are numerous barriers
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2018, 3, 32
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to adoption of behaviours recommended for melioidosis prevention [40]. Developing an effective
prevention programme to reduce people’s exposure to B. pseudomallei in the environment and to
educate them to seek medical attention if melioidosis is suspected, will be a formidable challenge in an
Indonesian context.
Acknowledgments: We thank all doctors, microbiologists, clinical pathologists, laboratory staff and healthcare
workers who participated in this study. We thank Rene Niehus, Joost Wiersinga and Emma Birnie for German and
Dutch translation. We thank Prasad Kuduvalli, the Health Security Partners (HSP) team and Primate Research
Center, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, for convening the first melioidosis workshop and supporting the
Indonesia Melioidosis Network. We thank International Melioidosis Society (IMS) for supporting the Indonesia
Melioidosis Network. We thank the Indonesian Association of Clinical Microbiologists (PAMKI) for the support.
We thank the Indonesia Research Partnership on Infectious Disease (INA-RESPOND) for molecular diagnostic
tests. We also thank Prapass Wannapinij for figure assistance.
Author Contributions: The Indonesia Melioidosis Network conceived the study. P.M.T. collected and analyzed
the data, and wrote the first draft of the paper. D.A.B.D., B.J.C. and D.L. assisted with the literature review,
participated in workshops, and edited the manuscript. S.W., F.S., and A.D. collected and analyzed the data.
M.G., M.M., A.A., I.P., T.L., D.I.N.P. and V.K.M. collected the data. D.C.L., M.A., A.T.A., N.N.S.B. and D.I.
contributed to the data and participated in workshop. R.L., D.A. and S.I.R. contributed to the data. W.N.W. and
U.A. performed molecular diagnostic tests. All authors contributed to the data of melioidosis in Indonesia and
reviewed the manuscript.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The sponsors had no role in the design of the
studies; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, and in the decision
to publish the results.
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