Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31285144›Full record

SynthesisThe Lancet. Infectious diseases2019

Global burden of melioidosis in 2015: a systematic review and data synthesis.

Emma Birnie, Harjeet S Virk, Jelmer Savelkoel, Rene Spijker, Eric Bertherat, David A B Dance, Direk Limmathurotsakul, Brecht Devleesschauwer, Juanita A Haagsma, W Joost Wiersinga

Open access · bronzeAbstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The Lancet. Infectious diseases, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 92 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
92citing papers in PubMed
10.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

92 citing papers in PubMed, 158 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Melioidosis Complicated by Native Valve Endocarditis in a Traveler Returning From Thailand to the United States.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Emergence of Human and Animal Melioidosis in Southern Africa, 2018-2021.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2026
    Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Occupational Laboratory Exposures toPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Article
  17. Article
  18. Adaptation of anMethodsX · 2025
    Article
  19. Article
  20. Review

32 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 8 institutions in 6 countries.

Emma BirnieCenter for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Electronic address: e.birnie@amc.uva.nl.
Harjeet S VirkCenter for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Jelmer SavelkoelCenter for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Rene SpijkerAcademic Medical Centre and Medical Library, Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Cochrane Netherlands, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Netherlands.
Eric BertheratDepartment of Infectious Hazard Management, Health Emergency Programme, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
David A B DanceLao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Laos; Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Direk LimmathurotsakulCentre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Brecht DevleesschauwerDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Juanita A HaagsmaDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
W Joost WiersingaCenter for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Division of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
University of Amsterdam · NLAmsterdam University Medical Centers · NLErasmus MC · NLMahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit · THMahosot Hospital · LASciensano (Belgium) · BEUtrecht University · NLWorld Health Organization · CH

Funding

Wellcome Trust 106698World Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMelioidosis is an infectious disease caused by the environmental bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. It is often fatal, with a high prevalence in tropical areas. Clinical presentation can vary from abscess formation to pneumonia and sepsis. We assessed the global burden of melioidosis, expressed in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), for 2015.

methodsWe did a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature for human melioidosis cases between Jan 1, 1990, and Dec 31, 2015. Quantitative data for cases of melioidosis were extracted, including mortality, age, sex, infectious and post-infectious sequelae, antibiotic treatment, and symptom duration. These data were combined with established disability weights and expert panel discussions to construct an incidence-based disease model. The disease model was integrated with established global incidence and mortality estimates to calculate global melioidosis DALYs. The study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42018106372.

findings2888 articles were screened, of which 475 eligible studies containing quantitative data were retained. Pneumonia, intra-abdominal abscess, and sepsis were the most common outcomes, with pneumonia occurring in 3633 (35·7%, 95% uncertainty interval [UI] 34·8-36·6) of 10 175 patients, intra-abdominal abscess in 1619 (18·3%, 17·5-19·1) of 8830 patients, and sepsis in 1526 (18·0%, 17·2-18·8) of 8469 patients. We estimate that in 2015, the global burden of melioidosis was 4·6 million DALYs (UI 3·2-6·6) or 84·3 per 100 000 people (57·5-120·0). Years of life lost accounted for 98·9% (UI 97·7-99·5) of the total DALYs, and years lived with disability accounted for 1·1% (0·5-2·3).

interpretationMelioidosis causes a larger disease burden than many other tropical diseases that are recognised as neglected, and so it should be reconsidered as a major neglected tropical disease.

fundingEuropean Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Research Grant 2018, AMC PhD Scholarship, The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network European Sepsis Academy.

Indexed as

Quality-Adjusted Life YearsBurkholderia pseudomalleiGlobal Burden of DiseaseHumansIncidenceMelioidosisNeglected Diseases

Identifiers

PMID31285144
PMCPMC6867904
OpenAlexW2956021214

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.