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.