Validation and comparison of an extrapolysaccharide (EPS)-based in-house ELISA and the PanBio melioidosis rapid cassette test-kits for serodiagnosis of melioidosis in a non-endemic area.

Detection of anti-Burkholderia pseudomallei antibodies in sera from melioidosis patients still represents a keystone in the confirmation of the clinical diagnosis, especially in non-endemic areas. An in-house assay was compared to lateral flow assays for the rapid detection of melioidosis-specific IgG or IgM. Employing 50 positive sera from patients and 200 negative sera from blood donors, sensitivity of the ELISA, the IgG and IgM assay were 84.0%, 90.0% and 84.0%, respectively. Specificity ranged from 98.0% (ELISA) to 99.5% (IgM assay). The application of the described diagnostic assays is a suitable method for the serodiagnosis of melioidosis in a non-endemic area.