Burkholderia mallei (B. mallei)

Burkholderia mallei is a Gram-negative, non-motile, obligate aerobic bacterium that serves as the primary causative agent of glanders, a zoonotic disease that mainly affects solipeds such as horses and donkeys (CDC, 2017). It is an obligate animal pathogen that can be transmitted to humans through direct contact with infected animals or contaminated environments, often entering through mucous membranes or skin abrasions (NIH, 2022). Classified as a Tier 1 Select Agent, B. mallei is considered a potential biothreat agent due to its high infectivity, low infectious dose, and potential for aerosol transmission (USDA, 2020). Inside a host, the bacterium behaves as an intracellular pathogen, utilizing Type III and Type VI secretion systems to escape endosomes and replicate within the cytoplasm of macrophages (PubMed: 11544342). Because it lacks a vaccine and exhibits resistance to many common antibiotics, clinical management requires an intensive, multi-phase antibiotic regimen typically involving ceftazidime or carbapenems (StatPearls, 2023).

Other names

Glanders bacillusPseudomonas malleiMalleomyces malleiBacillus mallei

Inhibition of bacterial cell wall synthesis (beta-lactams), inhibition of protein synthesis (aminoglycosides and tetracyclines), and inhibition of folate synthesis (sulfonamides).