title: An indirect ELISA for the diagnosis of melioidosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Very little information is available on melioidosis in India. This disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei is not often considered as a differential diagnosis and patients are not usually investigated for it. Thus we are unaware of its prevalence in India. This study was undertaken to detect the presence of melioidosis in patients presenting with pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO) using an indirect ELISA.
  
  
  METHODS
  The well established ELISA technique was adapted to detect melioidosis in patients attending the Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore and to provide a serological test using reagents with a reasonable shelf-life. The ELISA is designed to detect IgG antibodies to B. pseudomallei in serum samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A cut-off optical density (OD) of 0.36 (mean +/- 2 SD of healthy controls) was chosen as diagnostic criterion for the diseased group. The mean OD values in the sera of patients with culture proven melioidosis was significantly (P < 0.001) higher than that of healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The indirect ELISA was simple to perform and may be recommended as a diagnostic serological test when melioidosis is considered as a differential diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Jesudason
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Anandaraj
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Malathi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D016957:Burkholderia pseudomallei / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008554:Melioidosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G