A Study of in the Environment of Farms in Thanlyin and Hmawbi Townships, Myanmar.

Melioidosis is a tropical infection, first described in Myanmar but now rarely diagnosed there, which is widespread in Southeast Asia. The infection is predominantly acquired by people and animals through contact with soil or water. This study aimed to detect the causative organism, , in environmental samples from farms in Thanlyin and Hmawbi townships near Yangon, Myanmar. One hundred and twenty soil samples and 12 water samples were collected and processed using standard microbiological methods. species were isolated from 50 of the 120 (42%) soil samples but none of the water samples. Arabinose assimilation was tested to differentiate between and the nonpathogenic , and seven of 50 isolates (14%) were negative. These were all confirmed as by a species-specific multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This is the first study to detect environmental in Myanmar and confirms that melioidosis is still endemic in the Yangon area.