Short report: application of a polymerase chain reaction to detect Burkholderia pseudomallei in clinical specimens from patients with suspected melioidosis.
The diagnostic potential of a Burkholderia pseudomallei type three secretion system (TTS1) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was examined on clinical specimens from 27 patients with sepsis in the Northern Territory of Australia, a region endemic for melioidosis. The TTS1 PCR was conducted on DNA extracted from a range of clinical specimens (blood, sputum, urine, joint, pericardial and pleural fluid, and swabs from skin lesions, throat, nose, and rectum). The PCR sensitivity in culture-positive clinical specimens from the nine confirmed patients with melioidosis was 65% and the specificity was 100%, with no PCR-positive results in specimens from 18 patients without melioidosis. The PCR based on the B. pseudomallei TTS1 has the potential to substantially improve the timeliness of diagnosis of melioidosis.
Gal
Daniel
D
Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
Mayo
Mark
M
Spencer
Emma
E
Cheng
Allen C
AC
Currie
Bart J
BJ
D016957:Burkholderia pseudomallei / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008554:Melioidosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D015876:Northern Territory / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D004269:DNA, Bacterial