Burkholderia

• Burkholderia cepacia complex

  • opportunistic organism
  • weak, slow, positive oxidase reaction
  • oxidize glucose, and many will oxidize maltose, lactose, and mannitol.
  • lysine decarboxylase and ONPG positive
  • ornithine decarboxylase negative and fail to reduce nitrate to nitrite.
• Burkholderia mallei

  • Respiratory tract zoonosis
  • Old name was Pseudomonas mallei
  • Smooth and cream to white colonies in - BAP and weakly oxidase (+)
  • The only non-motile among all pseudomonads
  • CAN'T GROW in 42°C
  • GLANDER's DISEASE – Infectious disease of horses, goats, sheep, & donkey.
  • FARCY – disseminated form of glander's disease considered as a potential bioterrorism agent
• Burkholderia pseudomallei

  • Cream to tan wrinkled colonies in BAP
  • Motile via polar tuft flagella - ADH (+)
  • Highly oxidative - glucose, maltose, lactose, mannitol
  • MELIOIDOSIS – glanders-like disease which has a long latent period
  • Manifestation of symptoms takes years hence the synonym Vietnam Time Bomb