Burkholderia mallei

Lisa A. Spacek, M.D., Ph.D., John G. Bartlett, M.D.
Burkholderia mallei is a topic covered in the Johns Hopkins ABX Guide.

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MICROBIOLOGY

  • Facultative, aerobic, nonmotile, slender, intracellular. Gram-negative rod.[3]
    • Agent of glanders, a disease of solipeds
    • Thrives intracellularly by modulating host immune-signaling pathways.[5]
  • If suspected, notify lab personnel
    • B. mallei is highly infectious as an aerosol.
    • Classified as a Tier 1 biological select agent, https://www.selectagents.gov, accessed (9/1/19).
  • Sometimes erroneously identified as Pseudomonas sp. by standard microbiologic testing, and B. mallei is morphologically indistinguishable from B. pseudomallei.
  • Hard to see on Gram stain. Grows slowly, best with glycerol.

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MICROBIOLOGY

  • Facultative, aerobic, nonmotile, slender, intracellular. Gram-negative rod.[3]
    • Agent of glanders, a disease of solipeds
    • Thrives intracellularly by modulating host immune-signaling pathways.[5]
  • If suspected, notify lab personnel
    • B. mallei is highly infectious as an aerosol.
    • Classified as a Tier 1 biological select agent, https://www.selectagents.gov, accessed (9/1/19).
  • Sometimes erroneously identified as Pseudomonas sp. by standard microbiologic testing, and B. mallei is morphologically indistinguishable from B. pseudomallei.
  • Hard to see on Gram stain. Grows slowly, best with glycerol.

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Last updated: October 1, 2019