 BackResearch Article ScienceAsia 22 (1996): 131-142 |doi: 10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.1996.22.131 Improved Methods For Diagnosis of MeliodosisSTITAYA SIRISINHAa,b NARISARA ANUNTAGOOLb AND PAKAMAS INTACHOTEbABSTRACT: Melioidosis is a tropical and subtropical bacterial infection caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei. a gram-negative bacterium previously known as Pseudomonas pseudomallei. The disease is found predominantly in Southeast Asian countries and the northern part of Australia. In Thailand, the disease is reported more frequenlly from the Northeast. It has a broad clinical spectrum, varying from highly fatal acute septicemia to asymtomatic subclinical infection. One of the major clinical problems with this disease is the lack of an appropriate diagnostic method. Such a method should be relatively cheap and simple to perform but highly reliable and accurate. It should also yield results quickly, so that proper management can be implemented as soon as possible. During the past 5 years, our groups at the Faculty of Science, Mahidol University and Chulabhorn Research Institute have been working on the immunology of melioidosis with particular emphasis on development of an appropriate diagnostic method. In this communication, we describe our approach in improving both antibody-detection and antigen-detection methods, and discuss our ideas as to how they would be readily applicable for use, not only in the endemic area of Thailand, but in other endemic regions as well. a Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. Received April 10, 1996
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