Affiliations 

  • 1 Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia
  • 2 Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Kelantan, Malaysia
Microorganisms, 2021 Mar 30;9(4).
PMID: 33808203 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9040711

Abstract

Melioidosis is a severe disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei (B. pseudomallei), a Gram-negative environmental bacterium. It is endemic in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia, but it is underreported in many other countries. The principal routes of entry for B. pseudomallei are skin penetration, inhalation, and ingestion. It mainly affects immunocompromised populations, especially patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The laboratory diagnosis of melioidosis is challenging due to its non-specific clinical manifestations, which mimic other severe infections. The culture method is considered an imperfect gold standard for the diagnosis of melioidosis due to its low sensitivity. Antibody detection has low sensitivity and specificity due to the high seropositivity among healthy people in endemic regions. Antigen detection using various proteins has been tested for the rapid determination of B. pseudomallei; however, it presents certain limitations in terms of its sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, this review aims to frame the present knowledge of a potential target known as the Burkholderia invasion protein D (BipD), including future directions for its detection using an aptamer-based sensor (aptasensor).

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.