Genotyping of Burkholderia mallei from an outbreak of glanders in Bahrain suggests multiple introduction events.
Abstract: Glanders, caused by the gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia mallei, is a highly infectious zoonotic disease of solipeds causing severe disease in animals and men. Although eradicated from many Western countries, it recently emerged in Asia, the Middle-East, Africa, and South America. Due to its rareness, little is known about outbreak dynamics of the disease and its epidemiology. Results: We investigated a recent outbreak of glanders in Bahrain by applying high resolution genotyping (multiple locus variable number of tandem repeats, MLVA) and comparative whole genome sequencing to B. mallei isolated from infected horses and a camel. These results were compared to samples obtained from an outbreak in the United Arab Emirates in 2004, and further placed into a broader phylogeographic context based on previously published B. mallei data. The samples from the outbreak in Bahrain separated into two distinct clusters, suggesting a complex epidemiological background and evidence for the involvement of multiple B. mallei strains. Additionally, the samples from Bahrain were more closely related to B. mallei isolated from horses in the United Arab Emirates in 2004 than other B. mallei which is suggestive of repeated importation to the region from similar geographic sources. Conclusions: High-resolution genotyping and comparative whole genome analysis revealed the same phylogenetic patterns among our samples. The close relationship of the Dubai/UAE B. mallei populations to each other may be indicative of a similar geographic origin that has yet to be identified for the infecting strains. The recent emergence of glanders in combination with worldwide horse trading might pose a new risk for human infections.
Publication Date: 2014-09-25 PubMed ID: 25255232PubMed Central: PMC4177748DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003195Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research investigates an outbreak of glanders disease in Bahrain caused by the Burkholderia mallei bacterium, suggesting through genotyping and genome sequencing that multiple strains of the bacterium were involved and may have been imported from similar geographic sources.
Overview of Glanders Disease
- Glanders is a highly infectious zoonotic disease affecting solipeds (hoofed animals) and humans.
- It is caused by the gram-negative bacterium, Burkholderia mallei.
- Though eradicated from many Western countries, the disease has recently emerged in parts of Asia, the Middle-East, Africa, and South America.
- Its rareness has left its outbreak dynamics and epidemiology relatively unknown till date.
Investigation into the Outbreak in Bahrain
- The researchers investigated a recent outbreak of glanders in Bahrain, applying high-resolution genotyping (Multiple Locus Variable Number of Tandem Repeats, MLVA) and comparative whole genome sequencing to B. mallei samples isolated from infected horses and a camel.
- When these results were compared with samples from an outbreak in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2004, it was found that the samples from Bahrain separated into two distinct clusters.
- This suggests a complex epidemiological background and evidence for the involvement of multiple B. mallei strains.
Chain of Infection and Phylogeographical Context
- Further analysis showed that the samples from Bahrain were more closely related to B. mallei isolated from horses in the UAE in 2004 than other B. mallei.
- This suggests that there may be repeated importation to the region from similar geographic sources.
- The broader phylogeographic context established from previous B. mallei data further confirmed this notion.
Conclusions
- High-resolution genotyping and comparative whole genome analysis revealed consistent phylogenetic patterns among the samples.
- The close relationship of the Dubai/UAE B. mallei populations to each other suggests a similar geographic origin, undetermined as yet, for the infecting strains.
- The recent emergence of glanders, combined with worldwide horse trading, might pose a new risk for human infections.
Cite This Article
APA
Scholz HC, Pearson T, Hornstra H, Projahn M, Terzioglu R, Wernery R, Georgi E, Riehm JM, Wagner DM, Keim PS, Joseph M, Johnson B, Kinne J, Jose S, Hepp CM, Witte A, Wernery U.
(2014).
Genotyping of Burkholderia mallei from an outbreak of glanders in Bahrain suggests multiple introduction events.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 8(9), e3195.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0003195 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Bacteriology and Toxinology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany.
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America.
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America.
- Department of Bacteriology and Toxinology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany.
- Department of Bacteriology and Toxinology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany.
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Department of Bacteriology and Toxinology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany.
- Department of Bacteriology and Toxinology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany.
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America.
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America.
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America.
- Department of Microbiology, Immunbiology and Genetics, MFPL laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bahrain / epidemiology
- Burkholderia mallei / genetics
- Camelus
- Disease Outbreaks / veterinary
- Genotyping Techniques
- Glanders / epidemiology
- Glanders / microbiology
- Horses
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
References
This article includes 11 references
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