A case report of co-infection of Melioidosis and cutaneous Leishmaniasis

BACKGROUND: Leishmaniasis and melioidosis are frequently reported from the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. However, only one case of co-infection of the two diseases has been reported to date over the world. This is a case report of a patient who had co-infection with cutaneous leishmaniasis and melioidosis and was successfully treated and recovered from the illness. CASE PRESENTATION: A 61 year old female patient with diabetes mellitus presented with fever for one month’s duration and was found to have hepatosplenomegaly and an ulcer over the left arm. She had elevated inflammatory markers and blood culture grew Burkholderia pseudomallei and serum was highly positive for melioidosis antibodies. A slit skin smear of the ulcer showed Leishmania amastigotes. CONCLUSION: Melioidosis and leishmaniasis are emerging infectious diseases in endemic countries and can be severe. The high prevalence rates in Sri Lanka should keep the treating physicians’ threshold for suspicion low for these two diseases.