Global and regional dissemination and evolution of Burkholderia pseudomallei

Claire Chewapreecha, Matthew T.G. Holden, Minna Vehkala, Niko Välimäki, Zhirong Yang, Simon R. Harris, Alison E. Mather, Apichai Tuanyok, Birgit De Smet, Simon Le Hello, Chantal Bizet, Mark Mayo, Vanaporn Wuthiekanun, Direk Limmathurotsakul, Rattanaphone Phetsouvanh, Brian G. Spratt, Jukka Corander, Paul Keim, Gordon Dougan, David A.B. DanceBart J. Currie, Julian Parkhill, Sharon J. Peacock

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

130 Scopus citations

Abstract

The environmental bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei causes an estimated 165,000 cases of human melioidosis per year worldwide and is also classified as a biothreat agent. We used whole genome sequences of 469 B. pseudomallei isolates from 30 countries collected over 79 years to explore its geographic transmission. Our data point to Australia as an early reservoir, with transmission to Southeast Asia followed by onward transmission to South Asia and East Asia. Repeated reintroductions were observed within the Malay Peninsula and between countries bordered by the Mekong River. Our data support an African origin of the Central and South American isolates with introduction of B. pseudomallei into the Americas between 1650 and 1850, providing a temporal link with the slave trade. We also identified geographically distinct genes/variants in Australasian or Southeast Asian isolates alone, with virulence-associated genes being among those over-represented. This provides a potential explanation for clinical manifestations of melioidosis that are geographically restricted.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number16263
JournalNature Microbiology
Volume2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 23 2017

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
  • Genetics
  • Microbiology (medical)
  • Cell Biology

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