Melioidosis vaccines

Abstract

Melioidosis is a disease caused by the facultative intracellular pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei iand is associated with a high mortality rate. Melioidosis is endemic in the tropics of southeast Asia and northern Australia and is of worldwide concern, particularly as it is a potential agent of bioterrorism or biological warfare. Also of concern is the lack of a fully effective antibiotic regime, as cases of bacteremia have unacceptably high mortality rates and relapse of melioidosis is common. This review focuses on the approaches that have been undertaken towards the development of an effective vaccine against this disease and highlights current strategies being used to move towards finalizing such a vaccine.