Melioidosis diagnostic workshop, 2013

Abstract

Melioidosis is a severe disease that can be difficult to diagnose because of its diverse clinical manifestations and a lack of adequate diagnostic capabilities for suspected cases. There is broad interest in improving detection and diagnosis of this disease not only in melioidosis-endemic regions but also outside these regions because melioidosis may be underreported and poses a potential bioterrorism challenge for public health authorities. Therefore, a workshop of academic, government, and private sector personnel from around the world was convened to discuss the current state of melioidosis diagnostics, diagnostic needs, and future directions.

Figure

Diagnostic guidelines for clinicians and microbiologists in developed countries and resource-limited settings. 1) The antimicrobial drug–susceptibility pattern can be useful for distinguishing Burkholderia pseudomallei (usually resistant to aminoglycosides and colistin or polymyxin but susceptible to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid) from other pathogenic species. However, isolates can occasionally be susceptible to aminoglycosides; susceptibility may vary by region (40). If disk diffusion is used, zone diameter interpretation may need to be modified from break points recommended for Enterobacteriaceae by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (73). 2) Not currently commercially available. API 20NE, bioMérieux, Craponne, France; VITEK, Becton, Dickinson, and Company, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA.