title: Rapid diagnostics for melioidosis: a comparative study of a novel lateral flow antigen detection assay.
abstract: The rapid diagnosis of septicaemic melioidosis will have an impact on reduction of mortality. Currently, this relies almost exclusively upon culture of the causative agent Burkholderia pseudomallei from clinical samples. In acute sepsis, blood is the preferred specimen for culture and therefore should be the target for a rapid diagnostic tool. A lateral flow immunoassay (LFI) for the detection of B. pseudomallei antigen has been developed. This was compared with molecular detection using the targets T3SS1 and IpxO. Forty-five clinical samples of EDTA blood, which were culture-positive, were tested using both modalities. The LFI had a sensitivity of 40 %, whilst molecular detection had a sensitivity of 20 %. The poor performance of molecular detection has been described previously and is largely related to the use of whole-blood specimens collected into blood tubes containing EDTA. Whilst suboptimal, the LFI would be an adjunct in the rapid diagnosis of melioidosis.
authors.affiliation: Pathology Queensland, The Townsville Hospital, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Douglas, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Alanna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sorenson
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Douglas, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Govan
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Douglas, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Natkunam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ketheesan
authors.affiliation: InBios, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Houghton
authors.affiliation: InBios, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Hongjing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: AuCoin
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dillon
authors.affiliation: Pathology Queensland, The Townsville Hospital, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Norton
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D016957:Burkholderia pseudomallei / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008554:Melioidosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial