Melioidosis in a seven year old camel, a new disease in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Melioidosis, caused by Burkholderia (Pseudomonas) pseudomallei, was diagnosed for the first time in a 7 year old female camel in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The camel after delivering a normal male calf two months back showed signs of wasting disease and was severely emaciated before it died. Gross pathological examinations revealed massive caseous necrosis of three quarters of the lungs, the mediastinal lymph nodes, pericardium, diaphragm, spleen, liver and kidneys. The necrosis was also detected in the mucosa of the oesophagus and uterus. Histopathological investigations proved an acute necrotic caseous pneumonia and a necrotic caseous lymphangitis. Other organs showed central caseous granulomas with peripheral accumulations of macrophages and few giant cells. No signs of a tumour were detected. Special stainings (Ziehl-Neelsen, PAS) were negative for TB-bacteria and fungus. Burkholderia pseudomallei was isolated on Ashdown and McConkey-agar from all affected organs. To the knowledge of the authors, Melioidosis in camels has only been described once before in Australia. The disease is endemic in humans in humid, tropical environments. The reported case is probably due to a very wet season of 1995-96 in the United Arab Emirates. Melioidosis is a zoonosis and the authors urge great care in the treatment of infected dromedary camels.