TABLE 1.

Summary of deployable laboratory results

Samplea	Typeb	Location in Australia, source	Culture resultc	lpxO PCR result
A	Clinical, blood	Central Province	B. pseudomallei	+
B	Clinical, synovial fluid	Central Province	B. pseudomallei	+
C	Clinical, blood	Uva Province	B. pseudomallei	+
D	Clinical, blood	Colombo	Unidentified GNB	−
E	Clinical, blood	Colombo	Unidentified GNB	−
AA	Env, SS	Kandy area, rubber tree	NA	+
AB	Env, SS	Kandy area, rubber tree	NA	−
AC	Env, SS	Kandy area, banana palm	NA	+
AD	Env, SS	Kandy area, rice terrace	NA	+
AE	Env, SS	Kandy area, rice terrace	NA	−
BA	Env, BPSA isolate	Kandy area	Unidentified GNB	−
BB	Env, BPSA isolate	Kandy area	Unidentified GNB	−
BC	Env, BPSA isolate	Kandy area	Unidentified GNB	−
BD	Env, BPSA isolate	Kandy area	Unidentified GNB	−
BE	Env, BPSA isolate	Kandy area	Unidentified GNB	−

^aSerial samples A to E, clinical isolates; AA to AE, soil supernatants; BA to BE, preliminary isolates from soil supernatants on B. pseudomallei selective agar. All serial samplings were repeated at least once.

^bEnv, environmental; SS, soil supernatant; BPSA, B. pseudomallei selective agar.

^cThe duration of laboratory deployment did not permit preliminary identification of soil bacteria by conventional phenotypic laboratory methods. The PCR protocol was therefore used as a rapid screening method for identification of oxidase-positive, gentamicin-resistant, gram-negative bacilli. GNB, gram-negative bacillus; NA, not applicable.