Further evaluation of a rapid diagnostic test for melioidosis in an area of endemicity

Immunochromatographic test (ICT) kits for the rapid detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antibodies to Burkholderia pseudomaUei were compared to the indirect hemagglutination (IHA) assay. In 138 culture-confirmed melioidosis cases, sensitivities were 80, 77, and 88% for IHA, ICT IgG, and ICT IgM, respectively. In a prospective study of 160 consecutive sera samples sent for melioidosis serology, respective specificities were 91, 90, and 69, positive predictive values were 41, 32, and 18, and negative predictive values were 99, 98, and 100%. ICT IgM kits are unreliable for diagnosis of melioidosis, but ICT IgG kits may be useful for diagnosing travelers presenting with possible melioidosis who return from regions where melioidosis is endemic.