A Single-blind Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomized Controlled Behaviour Change Trial to Determine Effectiveness of Prevention Programme of Melioidosis in Diabetics in Ubon Ratchathani, Northeast Thailand

Overview

Study hypothesis: Prevention programme for melioidosis can reduce incidences of overall hospitalization due to infectious diseases and due to culture-confirmed melioidosis in diabetic population in northeast Thailand This study is a prospective single-blind multicentre stepped wedge cluster randomized controlled behaviour change trial in 9,000 diabetics in Ubon Ratchathani, northeast Thailand.

Melioidosis is an infectious disease caused by soil-dwelling Gram-negative bacilli Burkholderia pseudomallei. The disease is highly endemic in northeast Thailand. Diabetes mellitus is the major underlying risk factor for melioidosis, occurring in more than 50% of all culture-proven melioidosis patients. The annual incidence of melioidosis in diabetes in northeast Thailand is currently 244 per 100,000, and the overall case fatality rate is about 40%. The number of people dying from melioidosis is now comparable to deaths from tuberculosis, and exceeds those from malaria, diarrheal illnesses and measles combined. Melioidosis is potentially preventable since infection occurs as a direct result of exposure to B. pseudomallei in the environment. Nonetheless, most of Thai people have never heard of melioidosis, there is currently no vaccine for melioidosis, and formal prevention guideline are lacking worldwide. The investigators recently developed new guidelines for the prevention of melioidosis in Thailand; including avoidance of direct contact with soil or environmental water and use of protective gear if contact is necessary, consumption of bottled or boiled water only, and avoidance of direct contact with heavy rain and dust clouds. The investigators aim to conduct a clinical trial to determine effectiveness of the proposed prevention programme of melioidosis. The investigators also predict that the prevention programme of melioidosis will also prevent other common infectious diseases with have similar routes of infection, such as leptospirosis and acute diarrhea. The outcome of the RCT will be crucial evidence for the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) Thailand for their consideration of policy changes for the prevention of melioidosis countrywide. The funder: Wellcome Trust. Grant reference number: 101103/Z/13/Z Result: Pubmed link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34170931/ PLoS NTD link: https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0009060 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009060 MedRxiv: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.18.20248448v1