Narisara ChantratitaSarunporn TandhavanantGumphol WongsuvanVanaporn WuthiekanunNittaya TeerawattanasookNicholas P.J. DayDirek LimmathurotsakulSharon J. PeacockMahidol UniversitySappasitthiprasong HospitalNuffield Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of Cambridge2018-10-192018-10-192013-11-01American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Vol.89, No.5 (2013), 971-972000296372-s2.0-84888604643https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/31845Melioidosis is a severe bacterial infection caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei. Rapid antimicrobial therapy is necessary to improve patient outcome, which is aided by direct detection of B. pseudomallei in clinical samples. A drawback for all antigen assays is that the number of B. pseudomallei in blood usually falls below the achievable level of detection. We performed a prospective cohort study of 461 patients with 541 blood cultures to evaluate the utility of a pre-incubation step prior to detection of B. pseudomallei using a monoclonal antibody-based immunofluorescent assay (Mab-IFA). TheMab-IFA was positive in 74 of 76 patients with melioidosis (sensitivity = 97.4%), and negative in 385 patients who did not have blood cultures containing B. pseudomallei (specificity = 100%). The Mab-IFA could be a valuable supplementary tool for rapid detection. We recommend the use of the Mab-IFA to test blood cultures that flag positive in regions where melioidosis is endemic. Copyright © 2013 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.Mahidol UniversityImmunology and MicrobiologyMedicineArticleSCOPUS10.4269/ajtmh.13-0212