Burkholderia mallei in Horses (Equis) | Vetlexicon
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Burkholderia mallei

ISSN 2398-2977

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Synonym(s): Pseudomonas mallei

Introduction

Classification

Taxonomy

  • Phylum: Proteobacteria.
  • Order: Burkholderiales.
  • Family: Burkholderiaceae.
  • Genus:Burkholderia.
  • Species:mallei.
  • Closely related (>80% DNA similarity) to, and subspecies ofBurholderia pseudomallei.

Etymology

  • Formerly known asPseudomonas mallei, Actinobacillus malleiandMalleomyces mallei.
  • Burkholderia: named after W H Burkholder, an American bacteriologist who discovered the etiological agent of onion rot.
  • mallei: after the Latin name (malleus) for the human disease melioidosis.

Distribution

  • Glanders   Glanders  is endemic in the equine population of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Central and South America and parts of Eastern Europe.
  • North America has not seen any naturally occurring cases since the 1940s, and the disease has been eradicated from Western Europe.

Significance

  • Cause of glanders   Glanders   in Equidae, which is highly infectious, difficult to diagnose and often fatal.
  • The form of disease associated with a primary skin lesion, subsequent lymphangitis, and the formation of ulcerative nodules, is sometimes called farcy.
  • Occasionally camels, goats, cats and dogs can be infected.
  • A rare zoonotic in humans.
  • A past and potential biological weapon believed to have been used during the American Civil War and the First World War to infect supply horses and mules; during World War Two on horses, civilians and prisoners of war; and more recently in Afghanistan. It is considered to be a Category B bioterrorist agent as listed on the Centers for Disease Control list in the USA.
  • Impedence to further research:
    • Effective diagnostics, approved therapy and vaccines are unavailable forB. malleimeaning that those most capable of advancing research in this field are at high occupational risk, without effective contingency measures, should an infection be suspected or actually occur.
    • The requirement to use Bio Safety Level 3 facilities.
    • Select Agent regulations in the USA, or equivalent in other countries.

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Resting Forms

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Clinical Effects

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Diagnosis

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Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

  • Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
  • Khan I et al (2011) Comparative evaluation of three commercially available complement fixation test antigens for the diagnosis of glanders. Vet Rec 169 (19), 495 PubMed.
  • Galyov E E, Brett P J & DeShazer D (2010) Molecular insights into Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei Pathogenesis. Ann Rev Microbiol 64, 495-517 PubMed
  • Losada L et al (2010) Continuing evolution of Burkholderia mallei through genome reduction and large-scale rearrangements. Genome Biol Evol 22 (2), 102-116 PubMed.
  • Peacock S J et al (2008) Management of accidental laboratory exposure to Burkholderia pseudomallei and B. malleiEmerg Infect Dis 14 (7), e2 PubMed.
  • Scholz H C et al (2006) Detection of the reemerging agent Burkholderia mallei in a recent outbreak of glanders in the United Arab Emirates by a newly developed fliP-based polymerase chain reaction assay. Diag Microbiol Infect Dis 54 (4), 241-247 PubMed.
  • Ulrich R L et al (2006) Development of a polymerase chain reaction assay for the specific identification of Burkholderia mallei and differentiation from Burkholderia pseudomallei and other closely related Burkholderiaceae. Diag Microbiol Infect Dis 55 (1), 37-45 PubMed.
  • Ulrich M P et al (2006) Using real-time PCR to specifically detect Burkholderia malleiJ Med Microbiol 55 (5), 551-559 PubMed.
  • U'Ren J M et al (2005) Use of a real-time PCR TaqMan assay for rapid identification and differentiation of Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia malleiJ Clin Microbiol 43 (11), 5771-5774 PubMed.
  • Nierman W C et al (2004) Structural flexibility in the Burkholderia mallei genome. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 101 (39), 14246-14251 PubMed.
  • Thibault F M et al (2004) Antibiotic susceptibility of 65 isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei to 35 antimicrobial agents. J Antimicrob Chemo 54 (6), 1134-1138 PubMed.