Reassessing the distribution of Burkholderia pseudomallei outside known endemic areas using animal serological screening combined with environmental surveys: The case of Les Saintes (Guadeloupe) and French Guiana

Abstract

Background Melioidosis, an emerging infectious disease that affects both humans and animals, is caused by the soil-dwelling bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. It is endemic in South and Southeast Asia, and northern Australia, causing an estimated 165,000 human cases annually worldwide. Human cases have been reported in the French West Indies (Martinique and Guadeloupe) since the 1990s. Conversely, no human cases have been reported in French Guiana, a French territory in South America. Our study aimed to investigate whether B. pseudomallei is locally established in Guadeloupe and French Guiana using animals as a proxy. Methodology/principal findings Blood samples were collected from different animals from 56 farms in French Guiana (n = 670) and from two goat farms in Les Saintes (n = 31), part of the archipelago of Guadeloupe and tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In Les Saintes, a serological follow-up was performed, and soil, water and goat rectal swabs were collected and analyzed by culture and PCR. The highest seroprevalence rates (39%) were observed in goats in Les Saintes, followed by horses (24%) and cattle (16%) in French Guiana. In the two goat farms, supplementary analyses detected B. pseudomallei from one goat rectal swab, and a B. pseudomallei strain was isolated from the soil. Conclusions/significance Our animal serological data suggest the presence of B. pseudomallei in Les Saintes and French Guiana. In Les Saintes, environmental surveys confirmed the endemicity of the bacteria, which is consistent with documented human cases of melioidosis on the island. We did not conduct an environmental survey in French Guiana. Nevertheless, our serological results call for local environmental surveys and a retrospective reassessment of human infections with melioidosis-like symptoms.