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Phylogenetic and phenotypic characterization of Burkholderia pseudomallei isolates from Ghana reveals a novel

Kevin L Schully1, Logan J Voegtly2,3, Gregory K Rice2,3

  • 1Austere Environments Consortium for Enhanced Sepsis Outcomes (ACESO), Biological Defense Research Directorate, Naval Medical Research Command-Frederick, Ft. Detrick, MD, United States.

Frontiers in Microbiology
|July 24, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Melioidosis, a severe disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, is now genetically characterized in Ghana. This study reveals a novel bacterial strain and its relationship to global populations, expanding our understanding of its African distribution.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genomics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Melioidosis is a severe disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, a soil-dwelling bacterium.
  • The geographic distribution of B. pseudomallei is expanding, but data from Africa remains limited.
  • Previous work confirmed B. pseudomallei presence in Ghana's environment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To genetically characterize B. pseudomallei isolates from Ghana.
  • To understand the phylogenetic relationships of Ghanaian isolates with global strains.
  • To assess phenotypic characteristics relevant to diagnostics and treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Whole genome sequencing of 21 B. pseudomallei isolates.
  • Phylogenetic analysis to determine evolutionary relationships.
  • Phenotypic characterization including API 20NE and capsular polysaccharide (CPS) analysis.

Main Results:

  • Identified three distinct sequence types (STs), including a novel ST2058.
  • Phylogenetic analysis revealed ST2058 is linked to strains from the Americas and Africa.
  • Phenotypic tests confirmed common features supporting diagnostics and antibiotic susceptibility.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides the first genomic data of B. pseudomallei from Ghana.
  • The findings enhance understanding of B. pseudomallei distribution and evolution in Africa.
  • Ghanaian isolates possess characteristics consistent with existing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Keywords:
AfricaBurkholderia pseudomalleiGhanaenvironmentgenomemelioidosisphylogeneticsequence

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