The disease melioidosis, caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, remains an important and sometimes neglected cause of disease in tropical regions of Australia. Infection may present in myriad ways, and diagnosis often requires consideration of this organism prior to culture. Laboratory identification of B. pseudomallei requires specialised testing beyond that available in many routine diagnostic microbiology laboratories. For this reason, cases outside of the traditional endemic zone, often occurring years after initial exposure to the organism, may remain undiagnosed or are delayed in diagnosis. Furthermore, the high levels of intrinsic antimicrobial resistance associated with B. pseudomallei often render empirical therapies ineffective. Health professionals, particularly those in rural and remote areas of Australia, must consider melioidosis in their differential diagnoses and remain abreast of advances in the field of this important emerging disease.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	Burkholderia; melioidosis; pseudomallei; review
Research Division:	Medical and Health Sciences
Research Group:	Clinical Sciences
Research Field:	Infectious Diseases
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Clinical Health (Organs, Diseases and Abnormal Conditions)
Objective Field:	Infectious Diseases
UTAS Author:	Foong, YC (Dr Yi Chao Foong)
ID Code:	120605
Year Published:	2014
Web of Science® Times Cited:	15
Deposited By:	Centre for Rural Health
Deposited On:	2017-08-29
Last Modified:	2017-10-13
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