The recognition of unusual, but important, pathogens such as Burkholde
ria pseudomallei is essential for the rapid implementation of appropri
ate antimicrobial therapy - delays can be fatal. Melioidosis should be
considered as a potential diagnosis for any patient with exposure to
areas of endemicity, and thus laboratories should be aware of the diff
erential features of the disease and the causative organism. Isolation
of B. pseudomallei is readily achieved using standard culture media s
uch as blood, MacConkey or cystine-lactose-electrolyte-deficient (CLED
) agars, and routine blood culture broths. Selective media, Ashdown's
agar and selective broth, are required for respiratory tract specimens
to ensure reliable isolation from amongst the normal or contaminating
flora. These media are easily prepared from common media constituents
. Colonial morphology and simple biochemical tests will suggest the id
entity of the organism, which can then be confirmed by additional test
s for 'non-fermenters', such as the API 20NE.