A diagnosis of Burkholderia pseudomallei directly in a bronchoalveolar lavage by polymerase chain reaction.

Melioidosis is an infectious disease caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. Interest in the molecular identification of B. pseudomallei has increased after its classification as a category B agent by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The present article reports a diagnosis of B. pseudomallei directly in a bronchoalveolar lavage by polymerase chain reaction amplification. The results obtained show that direct detection of the 16-23s spacer sequence in bronchoalveolar lavage is a quick and specific test to diagnose melioidosis.