Systemic melioidosis with prostatic abscess

Melioidosis is an infectious disease caused by the Gram-negative bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei. The organism is a soil saprophyte and humans acquire infection via percutaneous inoculation through a breach in the skin. Inhalation of the organism is also a probable route of transmission as evident by a high incidence during the rainy season. Outbreaks of melioidosis have also occurred due to ingestion of water contaminated with B. pseudomallei. Sri Lanka is an endemic country for melioidosis.
A 60-year-old male patient with hypertension presented with fever, chills, dysuria, and urinary retention. His blood culture signaled positive, and the isolate was identified as Burkholderia pseudomallei. He was managed for melioidosis complicated with prostatic abscess. He was successfully treated with intravenous meropenem in the intensive phase and discharged with oral co-trimoxazole during the eradicative phase.
Though the patient was initially treated for a prostatitis and urosepsis, correct identification through blood culture and appropriate investigations aided us to identify the prostatic abscess and treat the Burkholderia pseudomallei bacteraemia accordingly.