A 47-year-old woman in Quang Nam Province, located in central Vietnam, died of Whitmore’s disease, also known as melioidosis, the provincial Department of Health said on Monday.

N.T.T.V., a 47-year-old resident of Que Son District, was admitted to Tam Tri Quang Nam General Hospital with symptoms including high fever, fatigue, and difficulty breathing at midday on October 11, as reported by the hospital to the provincial health department.

Following immediate medical intervention, doctors diagnosed the patient with severe pneumonia and kept a close watch for signs of sepsis. 

It was noted that the woman had a history of type 1 diabetes but had discontinued treatment for approximately one year, leading to complications such as acute respiratory failure and acute hyperglycemia.

The hospital then conducted an electrocardiogram and dispatched samples to Phan Chau Trinh University for blood and sputum culture examinations.

At 4:45 pm on October 11, given the deteriorating health and grim outlook, the patient was transferred to Da Nang Hospital in the neighboring city for advanced care but passed away on the same night.

On October 14, the hospital received the results of the blood and sputum cultures for V., which confirmed the presence of Burkholderia pseudomallei infection, which causes Whitmore’s disease.

The illness leads to the necrosis of numerous organs, including the skin, and swiftly compromises the immune system. 

It is spread through ulcerated wounds.

With a mortality rate that can reach as high as 40-60 percent, particularly in instances of septic shock and severe pneumonia, Whitmore’s disease is classified among the most perilous diseases by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health.

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