Growth and survival of Pseudomonas pseudomallei in acidic environments

A study was made on the growth and survival of Pseudomonas pseudomallei in culture environments differing in nutrients, initial pH, and aeration, in comparison with Pseudomonas cepacia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The observations led us to a view that P. pseudomallei has the highest adaptability to acidic environments among the three species. Unlike the other species, it grew in heart infusion broth of initial pH 4.5 under aeration and survived keeping a high level (10(9) per ml) of viable counts for as long as 30 days. This sort of adaptation was found to be more evident in the media of poor nutrition and under limited aeration.