title: The epidemiology of melioidosis in the Balimo region of Papua New Guinea.
abstract: The distribution of Burkholderia pseudomallei was determined in soil collected from a rural district in Papua New Guinea (PNG) where melioidosis had recently been described, predominately affecting children. In 274 samples, 2.6% tested culture-positive for B. pseudomallei. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis using SpeI digests and rapid polymorphic DNA PCR with five primers demonstrated a single clone amongst clinical isolates and isolates cultured from the environment that was commonly used by children from whom the clinical isolates were derived. We concluded that individuals in this region most probably acquired the organism through close contact with the environment at these sites. Burkholderia thailandensis, a closely related Burkholderia sp. was isolated from 5.5% of samples tested, an observation similar to that of melioidosis-endemic areas in Thailand. This is the first report of an environmental reservoir for melioidosis in PNG and confirms the Balimo district in PNG as melioidosis endemic.
authors: Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia. Jeffrey.Warner@jcu.edu.au
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Warner
authors: D B
authors: DB
authors: Pelowa
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Gal
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Rai
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Mayo
authors: B J
authors: BJ
authors: Currie
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Govan
authors: L F
authors: LF
authors: Skerratt
authors: R G
authors: RG
authors: Hirst
mesh_terms: D016957:Burkholderia pseudomallei / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008554:Melioidosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010219:Papua New Guinea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D012424:Rural Population; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial
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