title: Application of polymerase chain reaction to detect burkholderia pseudomallei and Brucella species in buffy coat from patients with febrile illness among rural and peri-urban population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Melioidosis and Brucellosis are important endemic infections among people in India, especially in rural settings. Conventional detection techniques have several limitations. Only a few studies exist on the prevalence of Melioidosis and Brucellosis in rural area especially in India.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to evaluate detection of Burkholderia pseudomallei and Brucella spp. among patients presenting febrile illness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Previously described polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for both pathogens were evaluated with Deoxyribonucleic acid extracts of buffy coat samples collected from 301 patients recruited prospectively. Data was not amenable to statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PCR showed specific amplification and no non-specific amplification with heterologous Gram-negative bacilli. The lower limit of detection of the assay for B. pseudomallei was determined to be 1 colony-forming unit /mL and for Brucella it was 1.95 × 10(3) plasmids per microliter. Blood culture in automated blood culture system was negative for all the samples. This prospective study carried out in southern India for the first time. PCR for Brucella was positive in 1% of the patient samples whereas 0.3% was positive for B. pseudomallei.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The finding of Brucella and Burkholderia infections in our populations leads us to suggest that tests for Brucella and B. pseudomallei should also form part of a diagnostic platform for patients with Pyrexia of unknown origin in tropical developing countries.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biomedical Research, Sri Narayani Hospital and Research Centre, Thirumalaikodi, Sripuram, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: Balaji
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nandagopal
authors.forename: Sathish
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sankar
authors.forename: Karthikeyan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lingesan
authors.forename: Kc
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Appu
authors.forename: Gopalan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sridharan
authors.forename: Anilkumar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gopinathan