R. C. GreerT. WangrangsimakulP. AmornchaiV. WuthiekanunA. LaongnualpanichD. A.B. DanceD. LimmathurotsakulLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineMahidol UniversityNuffield Department of Clinical MedicineMahosot HospitalChiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital2020-01-272020-01-272019-01-01Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Vol.113, No.1 (2019), 48-5118783503003592032-s2.0-85059497915https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/51154© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. Background: Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis, a disease endemic throughout the tropics. Methods: A study of reported Acinetobacter spp. bacteraemia was performed at Chiang Rai provincial hospital from 2014 to 2015. Isolates were collected and tested for confirmation. Results: A total of 419 putative Acinetobacter spp. isolates from 412 patients were re-identified and 5/419 (1.2%) were identified as B. pseudomallei. Four of the five patients with melioidosis died. An estimated 88/419 (21%) isolates were correctly identified as Acinetobacter spp. Conclusions: Misidentification of Acinetobacter spp. as B. pseudomallei or other bacteria is not uncommon and programmes to address these shortfalls are urgently required.Mahidol UniversityImmunology and MicrobiologyMedicineArticleSCOPUS10.1093/trstmh/try108