Melioidosis in Birds and Burkholderia pseudomallei Dispersal, Australia

Hampton, Vanya; Kaestli, Mirjam; Mayo, Mark; Choy, Jodie Low; Harrington, Glenda; Richardson, Leisha J.; Benedict, Suresh; Noske, Richard A.; Garnett, Stephen T.; Godoy, Daniel; Spratt, Brian G.; Currie, Bart J.

doi:10.3201/eid1707.100707

Cited by 30 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Environmental seeding may have also occurred from B. pseudomallei being shed from a chronically infected human (e.g., via expectoration) returning or traveling from Asia at some stage in the past, or from the fecal matter of B. pseudomalleiinfected migratory or storm-driven birds flying south from Asia. B. pseudomallei carriage and infection have been documented in both native Australian and imported avian species and represent a possible route by which B. pseudomallei was introduced into New Caledonia and other Pacific islands from the Australian mainland (48). Coastal northern Australia is a stop-off point for some of the great migratory flyways, and shorebirds that have transited Asia on their southern migration from Siberia to Australia have been found to carry avian influenza viruses (49).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unprecedented Melioidosis Cases in Northern Australia Caused by an Asian Burkholderia pseudomallei Strain Identified by Using Large-Scale Comparative Genomics

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Sarovich

Smith

et al. 2016

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Melioidosis is a disease of humans and animals that is caused by the saprophytic bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. Once thought to be confined to certain locations, the known presence of B. pseudomallei is expanding as more regions of endemicity are uncovered. There is no vaccine for melioidosis, and even with antibiotic administration, the mortality rate is as high as 40% in some regions that are endemic for the infection. Despite high levels of recombination, phylogenetic reconstruction of B. pseudomallei populations using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has revealed surprisingly robust biogeographic separation between isolates from Australia and Asia. T he Gram-negative soil-dwelling bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei is the etiologic agent of melioidosis, an often deadly tropical disease that can be difficult to diagnose, particularly in nonendemic or resource-poor regions where cases are not expected and appropriate microbiological diagnostic tools are not readily available (1). Diabetics are particularly susceptible to melioidosis. B. pseudomallei infection can be acquired from contaminated soil or water by percutaneous inoculation, inhalation, aspiration, or ingestion, and no vaccine targeting this organism is available (2). In 2012, B. pseudomallei was reclassified by U.S. federal agencies as a tier 1 select agent, the highest risk category for a biological entity, due to concerns that this bacterium would pose a severe threat to humans and animals in the event of its deliberate misuse (3).The B. pseudomallei genome exhibits high homologous recombination rates. On a per-allele basis, recombination is estimated to occur between 18 and 30 times more frequently than mutation (4). This extensive lateral gene transfer can confound population analyses, particularly those that are based on studying limited geographic regions (e.g., the Northern Territory, Australia [5]) due to high rates of homoplasy observed among genetic variants. In contrast, genomic analyses of B. pseudomallei populations on a continental scale have revealed a clear separation of B. pseudomallei isolates between Asia and Australia (4, 6, 7). Bayesian analysis of B. pseudomallei genome variation points to an ancient separation, with migration out of Australia into Asia occurring tens of thousands of years ago during the Pleistocene (4). The rarity of pathogen movement is due largely to one factor: new melioidosis cases almost always result from bacterial infection acquired from the local environment, with human-to-human and zoonotic transmission of this pathogen being exceedingly rare (8). In support of the rarity of B. pseudomallei movement across major biogeographic boundaries, the definitive transmission of B. pseudomallei from Asia into Australia has not yet been observed. Nevertheless, melioidosis cases imported into nonendemic locations via travelers are being increasingly reported, as is recognition of locations that are endemic for melioidosis outside the classical regions of Southeast Asia and Australia (9). With modern global tra...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unprecedented Melioidosis Cases in Northern Australia Caused by an Asian Burkholderia pseudomallei Strain Identified by Using Large-Scale Comparative Genomics

Price

Sarovich

Smith

et al. 2016

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…12 In addition, B. pseudomallei has been isolated from the beak of a healthy bird, suggesting another possible mode of longdistance dissemination. 13 B. pseudomallei can also seed new endemic areas and cause long-term contamination of soil and water outside of the tropics. 14,15 Taken together, these findings suggest that this organism has many opportunities to disperse widely.…”

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confidence: 99%

Burkholderia pseudomallei Genotype Distribution in the Northern Territory, Australia

Chapple

Price

Sarovich

et al. 2016

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Melioidosis is a tropical disease of high mortality caused by the environmental bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei. We have collected clinical isolates from the highly endemic Northern Territory of Australia routinely since 1989, and animal and environmental B. pseudomallei isolates since 1991. Here we provide a complete record of all B. pseudomallei multilocus sequence types (STs) found in the Northern Territory to date, and distribution maps of the eight most common environmental STs. We observed surprisingly restricted geographic distributions of STs, which is contrary to previous reports suggesting widespread environmental dissemination of this bacterium. Our data suggest that B. pseudomallei from soil and water does not frequently disperse long distances following severe weather events or by migration of infected animals.

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“…Inhalation of aerosolized secretions from the chicken may also be considered as mode of infection for melioidosis 8,15 . Domestic birds grown in captivity and exotic birds are found to be carriers of this bacterium; their high body temperature of more than 40 0 C is conducive for survival of B. pseudomallei 16 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study of Incidence of Melioidosis for a period of two years in a Tertiary care Hospital in North Kerala, South India

Manasi¹

2017

jmscr

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Melioidosis in Birds and Burkholderia pseudomallei Dispersal, Australia

Cited by 30 publications

References 8 publications

Unprecedented Melioidosis Cases in Northern Australia Caused by an Asian Burkholderia pseudomallei Strain Identified by Using Large-Scale Comparative Genomics

Unprecedented Melioidosis Cases in Northern Australia Caused by an Asian Burkholderia pseudomallei Strain Identified by Using Large-Scale Comparative Genomics

Burkholderia pseudomallei Genotype Distribution in the Northern Territory, Australia

Study of Incidence of Melioidosis for a period of two years in a Tertiary care Hospital in North Kerala, South India

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