Health authorities in Dak Nong Province, located in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, said on Thursday that they had detected the first Whitmore’s disease case in a 65-year-old man.

The patient is T.V.S., a 65-year-old resident of Dak Nong’s Cu Jut District, who has had a lipoma, or a benign tumor made of fat tissue, on the head for a year, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

S. has recently experienced pain and discomfort in the tumor area before having it examined at Thien Hanh General Hospital in neighboring Dak Lak Province on April 14. 

There, he was diagnosed with osteomyelitis, abscesses under the scalp, and type-2 diabetes.

On Monday, S. had samples taken for testing, with the results released on Wednesday showing that he was positive for the Burkholderia Pseudomallei bacterium, which causes Whitmore’s disease, also known as melioidosis, in humans and animals.

Currently, S. has regained consciousness, has good communication and stable health, and has been transferred to the General Hospital of the Central Highlands in Dak Lak for continued monitoring and treatment.

Health authorities in Dak Nong have strengthened medical vigilance following the detection of S.’s infection, also the first case in the province, according to Huynh Thanh Huynh, deputy director of the Dak Nong Department of Health.

Recent studies show that the disease is recorded in many northern and southern provinces.

The mortality rate from the disease is quite high, over 40 percent, especially in patients with septic shock and severe pneumonia.

The disease can spread via direct contact of patients with contaminated soil and water, especially through scratches on the skin. 

Therefore, experts advise people to wear boots when working in the fields and avoid stagnant water.

In areas where the disease is present, people should be vigilant as the symptoms can be mistaken for tuberculosis and pneumonia.

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