Misidentification of Burkholderia pseudomallei as Acinetobacter species in northern Thailand.

Greer, Rachel C; Wangrangsimakul, Tri; Amornchai, Premjit; Wuthiekanun, Vanaporn; Laongnualpanich, Achara; Dance, David AB; Limmathurotsakul, Direk; (2018) Misidentification of Burkholderia pseudomallei as Acinetobacter species in northern Thailand. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 113 (1). pp. 48-51. ISSN 0035-9203 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/try108

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis, a disease endemic throughout the tropics. METHODS: A study of reported Acinetobacter spp. bacteraemia was performed at Chiang Rai provincial hospital from 2014 to 2015. Isolates were collected and tested for confirmation. RESULTS: A total of 419 putative Acinetobacter spp. isolates from 412 patients were re-identified and 5/419 (1.2%) were identified as B. pseudomallei. Four of the five patients with melioidosis died. An estimated 88/419 (21%) isolates were correctly identified as Acinetobacter spp. CONCLUSIONS: Misidentification of Acinetobacter spp. as B. pseudomallei or other bacteria is not uncommon and programmes to address these shortfalls are urgently required.