Melioidosis in Mali

Melioidosis is a neglected tropical bacterial infection with a high mortality rate caused by the Gram-negative soil bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. Although the disease is increasingly recognized in Asian and Pacific regions, the situation in Africa is characterized by a lack of data and great uncertainty regarding the disease burden and distribution. We report cases of melioidosis in children under five in Mali, where no confirmed melioidosis had been reported previously.