Burkholderia cepacia Vs Burkholderia pseudomallei

Burkholderia is a very diverse genus that contains diseases that includes soil bacteria, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and human and plant pathogens. Their ability to adapt to changing environments and the versatility of their genomes enable them to colonize a variety of environmental niches.

Bacteria belonging to the Burkholderia genus are rod-shaped, Gram-negatives, non-spore-forming, obligate aerobes. Though the genus Burkholderia has several species, only three are regarded as important human diseases. B. cepacia is the cause of opportunistic lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis, B. pseudomallei is the cause of melioidosis and B. mallei is the source of glanders.

It has been difficult to accurately identify Burkholderia at the species level due to the dynamic nature of their taxonomy and the requirement to employ molecular techniques that aren't always accessible in hospital microbiology labs.

Here is a comparison of the most often misdiagnosed Burkholderia species found in lab settings.

References

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