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Home / Equine Research Bank / Braz J Microbiol / Molecular detection of Burkholderia mallei in different geog...
Brazilian journal of microbiology : [publication of the Brazilian Society for Microbiology]2023; 54(2); 1275-1285; doi: 10.1007/s42770-023-00965-9

Molecular detection of Burkholderia mallei in different geographic regions of Brazil.

Abstract: Glanders is a contagious disease of equids caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia mallei. In Brazil, the disease is considered to be reemerging and has been expanding, with records of equids with positive serology in most of the federative units. However, there are few reports describing the genotypic detection of the agent. This study demonstrated the detection of B. mallei by species-specific PCR directly from tissues or from bacterial cultures, followed by amplicon sequencing in equids (equines, mules, and asinines) with positive serology for glanders in all five geographic regions of Brazil. The molecular evidence of B. mallei infection in serologically positive equids in this study expands the possibility of strain isolation and the conduction of epidemiological characterizations based on molecular information. The microbiological detection of B. mallei in cultures from nasal and palate swabs, even in equids without clinical manifestations, raises the possibility of environmental elimination of the agent.
© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia.
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Publication Date: 2023-04-19 PubMed ID: 37074557PubMed Central: PMC10235260DOI: 10.1007/s42770-023-00965-9Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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The research paper discusses the detection of Burkholderia mallei, the pathogen causing Glanders disease in equids, in different regions of Brazil by using a species-specific PCR technique. The findings expand our understanding of B. mallei distribution and can potentially inform epidemiological research and public health strategies.

Detection of B. mallei using PCR

  • The researchers have employed Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a common method in molecular biology to detect the presence of Burkholderia mallei in equids. Although serological tests had already indicated the presence of B. mallei in most parts of Brazil, there was a lack of genotypic detection.
  • The superior sensitivity and specificity of PCR allowed the researchers to detect the bacteria directly from tissues or bacterial cultures. PCR amplifies a specific DNA target from the samples, making even small amounts of the bacteria detectable.
  • This is a significant step as it offers a more conclusive evidence of the bacteria’s presence, aiding in the understanding of the infection’s distribution and the development of more targeted interventions.

Molecular Evidence of B. mallei Infection

  • The researchers found molecular evidence of B. mallei infection, i.e., they detected the bacterial DNA in all five geographic regions of Brazil.
  • The detection of the bacteria in all regions indicates widespread occurrence of the disease, revealing the disease to be reemerging and expanding in Brazil.
  • This molecular evidence broadens the scope for isolating different strains of the bacteria and conducting further epidemiological research based on this molecular information.

Environmental Elimination of B. mallei

  • The researchers managed to detect B. mallei in cultures from nasal and palate swabs, even in equids without clinical manifestations of the disease.
  • This suggests that equids may be able to eliminate the bacteria from their bodies to the environment, potentially acting as carriers for the disease.
  • This raises further questions about the environmental persistence and transmission of B. mallei, emphasizing the need for further research on this aspect of Glanders disease.

Cite This Article

APA
Suniga PAP, Mantovani C, Santos MG, Rieger JSG, Gaspar EB, Dos Santos FL, Mota RA, Chaves KP, Egito AA, Filho JCO, Nassar AFC, Dos Santos LR, Araújo FR. (2023). Molecular detection of Burkholderia mallei in different geographic regions of Brazil. Braz J Microbiol, 54(2), 1275-1285. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-023-00965-9

Publication

Brazilian journal of microbiology : [publication of the Brazilian Society for Microbiology]
ISSN: 1678-4405
NlmUniqueID: 101095924
Country: Brazil
Language: English
Volume: 54
Issue: 2
Pages: 1275-1285

Researcher Affiliations

Suniga, Paula A Pereira
  • MAI/DAI Scholarship, Federal University of Mato Grosso Do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Av. Costa E Silva, Campo Grande, MS, 79070-900, Brazil.
  • Postgraduate Program in Animal Science, Federal University of Mato Grosso Do Sul, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science-FAMEZ/UFMS, Av. Senador Filinto Muller, 2443, Campo Grande, MS, 79074-460, Brazil.
Mantovani, Cynthia
  • Embrapa Beef Cattle/Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply Scholarship, Embrapa Beef Cattle, Av. Rádio Maia, 830, Campo Grande, MS, 79106-550, Brazil.
Santos, Maria G
  • Embrapa Beef Cattle, Av. Rádio Maia, 830, Campo Grande, MS, 79106-550, Brazil.
Rieger, Juliana S Gomes
  • Embrapa Beef Cattle/Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply Scholarship, Embrapa Beef Cattle, Av. Rádio Maia, 830, Campo Grande, MS, 79106-550, Brazil.
Gaspar, Emanuelle B
  • Embrapa South Livestock, Rodovia BR-153, Km 632,9 Vila Industrial, Zona Rural, Caixa Postal 242, Bagé, RS, 96401-970, Brazil.
Dos Santos, Fernando Leandro
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Mota, Rinaldo A
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Chaves, Karla P
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil.
Egito, Andréa A
  • Postgraduate Program in Animal Science, Federal University of Mato Grosso Do Sul, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science-FAMEZ/UFMS, Av. Senador Filinto Muller, 2443, Campo Grande, MS, 79074-460, Brazil.
  • Embrapa Beef Cattle, Av. Rádio Maia, 830, Campo Grande, MS, 79106-550, Brazil.
Filho, José Carlos O
  • Veterinary Pathology Sector, Universidade Federal Do Recôncavo da Bahia (UFRB), Rua Rui Barbosa 710, Cruz Das Almas, BA, 44380-000, Brazil.
Nassar, Alessandra F Castro
  • Centro de Pesquisa Em Sanidade Animal, Instituto Biológico, Av. Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves, 1252, São Paulo, SP, 04014-002, Brazil.
Dos Santos, Lenita Ramires
  • Embrapa Beef Cattle, Av. Rádio Maia, 830, Campo Grande, MS, 79106-550, Brazil. lenita.santos@embrapa.br.
Araújo, Flábio R
  • Embrapa Beef Cattle, Av. Rádio Maia, 830, Campo Grande, MS, 79106-550, Brazil.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Burkholderia mallei / genetics
  • Glanders / diagnosis
  • Glanders / epidemiology
  • Glanders / microbiology
  • Brazil / epidemiology
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques

Grant Funding

  • 20.21.10.006.00 / Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Citations

This article has been cited 5 times.
  1. Moriya JCK, Suniga PAP, Araújo ACL, Santos MG, Rieger JSG, Mantovani C, Jardim R, Silva MR, Araújo FR, Santos LR. Detection of Burkholderia mallei in Microbiological Culture: A Comparative Analysis of PCR Primer Sets. Pathogens 2025 Aug 2;14(8).
    doi: 10.3390/pathogens14080766pubmed: 40872276google scholar: lookup
  2. Torres AG. Glanders: An ancient and emergent disease with no vaccine or treatment on site. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2025 Jun;19(6):e0013160.
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  3. Luz KG, Bezerra FRO, Sicolo MA, Silva AARS, Egito AA, Suniga PAP, Moriya JCK, Santos MG, Mantovani C, Silva JS, Almeida NF, Guimarães AMS, Dávila AMR, Jardim R, Santos LR, Araújo FR. Clinical and Molecular Characterization of Human Burkholderia mallei Infection, Brazil. Emerg Infect Dis 2024 Nov;30(11):2400-2403.
    doi: 10.3201/eid3011.240549pubmed: 39447175google scholar: lookup
  4. Gaspar EB, Santos LRD, Egito AAD, Santos MGD, Mantovani C, Rieger JDSG, Abrantes GAS, Suniga PAP, Favacho JM, Pinto IB, Nassar AFC, Santos FLD, Araújo FR. Assessment of the Virulence of the Burkholderia mallei Strain BAC 86/19 in BALB/c Mice. Microorganisms 2023 Oct 20;11(10).
    doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11102597pubmed: 37894255google scholar: lookup
  5. Suniga PAP, Mantovani C, Dos Santos MG, do Egito AA, Verbisck NV, Dos Santos LR, Dávila AMR, Zimpel CK, Zerpa MCS, Chiebao DP, de Sá Guimarães AM, de Castro Nassar AF, de Araújo FR. Glanders Diagnosis in an Asymptomatic Mare from Brazil: Insights from Serology, Microbiological Culture, Mass Spectrometry, and Genome Sequencing. Pathogens 2023 Oct 17;12(10).
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