Neurotropic threat characterization of burkholderia pseudomallei strains

Abstract

<p>The death rate for neurologic melioidosis is high. Whether certain <i>Burkholderia pseudomallei</i> strains are more likely than other strains to cause central nervous system infection and whether route of infection influences the neurotropic threat remain unclear. Therefore, we compared the virulence and dissemination of Australian clinical isolates collected during October 1989–October 2012 from patients with neurologic and nonneurologic melioidosis after intranasal and subcutaneous infection of mice in an experimental model. We did not observe neurotropism as a unique characteristic of isolates from patients with neurologic melioidosis. Rather, a distinct subset of <i>B. pseudomallei</i> strains appear to have heightened pathogenic potential for rapid dissemination to multiple tissues, including the central nervous system, irrespective of the infection route. This finding has valuable public health ramifications for initiating appropriate and timely therapy after exposure to systemically invasive <i>B. pseudomallei</i> strains. Increasing understanding of <i>B. pseudomallei</i> pathology and its influencing factors will further reduce illness and death from this disease.</p>