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. 2017 Jul;23(7):1133-1138.
doi: 10.3201/eid2307.161978.

Phylogeography of Burkholderia pseudomallei Isolates, Western Hemisphere

Jay E Gee, Christopher A Gulvik, Mindy G Elrod, Dhwani Batra, Lori A Rowe, Mili Sheth, Alex R Hoffmaster

Phylogeography of Burkholderia pseudomallei Isolates, Western Hemisphere

Jay E Gee et al. Emerg Infect Dis. 2017 Jul.

Abstract

The bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei causes melioidosis, which is mainly associated with tropical areas. We analyzed single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among genome sequences from isolates of B. pseudomallei that originated in the Western Hemisphere by comparing them with genome sequences of isolates that originated in the Eastern Hemisphere. Analysis indicated that isolates from the Western Hemisphere form a distinct clade, which supports the hypothesis that these isolates were derived from a constricted seeding event from Africa. Subclades have been resolved that are associated with specific regions within the Western Hemisphere and suggest that isolates might be correlated geographically with cases of melioidosis. One isolate associated with a former World War II prisoner of war was believed to represent illness 62 years after exposure in Southeast Asia. However, analysis suggested the isolate originated in Central or South America.

Keywords: Americas; Burkholderia pseudomallei; Mexico; Puerto Rico; SNPs; Trinidad; United States; Western Hemisphere; bacteria; genome; melioidosis; phylogeography; single-nucleotide polymorphisms.

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Figures

Figure
Figure
Dendrogram based on core SNP analysis of Burkholderia pseudomallei genomes by using maximum-parsimony for isolate kSNP3.021. Values at nodes indicate SNP distances between connecting nodes. Numbers to the right of the strain names are numbers of SNPs unique to that genome. Scale bar indicates nucleotide substitutions per site. POW, prisoner of war; SNP, single-nucleotide polymorphism.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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