Burkholderia pseudomallei infection
Etiology/Bacteriology
Taxonomy
| Domain = Bacteria
| Phylum = Proteobacteria
| Class = Betaproteobacteria
| Order = Burkholderiales
| Family = Burkholdiaceae
| Genus = Burkholderia
| species = B. pseudomallei
Description
Pathogenesis
Transmission
Infectious dose, incubation and colonization
Epidemiology
Virulence Factors
Clinical Features
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of Melioidosis is best achieved through the isolation of the organism from a sample taken from the blood, sputum, skin lesion, abscess, or urine. (CDC) The bacteria can be isolated on the Ashdown medium first described by L.R. Ashdown in 1979. (CHENG) The medium contains: tryptase soy agar with glycerol, crystal violet, natural red, gentamicin and colistin. Gentamicin prevents the growth of other organisms, which allows the sample to be taken from non-sterile sites on the patient. (CHENG) Detection of an antibody response to the bacteria is also a form of diagnosis; however isolation of ‘Burkholderia pseudomallei’ is more commonly used.