Melioidosis

Statutory notification

• Melioidosis is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
• See notifiable communicable disease case definitions (Word 1.29MB).
• Notifications should be made using the communicable disease notification form for metropolitan residents (PDF 214KB) or regional residents (PDF 213KB). 
• For notification of regional residents see contact details of public health units.
• See also description of Statutory medical notifications for WA Health.

Public health management

Important information

• Infectious agent: Burkholderia pseudomallei.
• Transmission: Usually contact with contaminated soil or water through skin wounds, aspiration or ingestion of contaminated water or inhalation of soil dust.
• Incubation period: Can be as short as 2 days, but years may elapse between presumed exposure and symptoms.
• Infectious period: Person to person transmission has not been proven conclusively.
• Case exclusion: Do not exclude.
• Contact exclusion: Do not exclude.
• Treatment: Antibiotic treatment as recommended by the doctor.
• Immunisation:  None available.
• Case follow-up: Is conducted by Public Health Units and the Communicable Disease Control Directorate.

Notifiable disease data and reports

• Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
• Infectious disease data