Burkholderia mallei

Burkholderia mallei is a gram-negative bipolar aerobic bacterium, a Burkholderia-genus  human and animal pathogen causing Glanders; the Latin name of this disease (malleus) gave name to the causative agent species. Unlike closely related Burkholderia pseudomallei and other genus members, the bacterium is nonmotile; its shape is something in between a rod and a coccus measuring some 1.5–3 μm in length and 0.5–1μm in diameter with rounded ends.

The bacterium is susceptible to numerous disinfectants including benzalkonium chloride, iodine, mercuric chloride, potassium permanganate, 1% sodium hypochlorite and ethanol. The microorganism can also be destroyed by heating or UV. Antibiotics such as streptomycin, amikacin, tetracycline, doxycycline and sulfathiazole have been reported to be effective against the bacteria in vitro. B. mallei as well as B. pseudomallei have a history of being on a list of potential biological warfare agents.

this bacteria is one of the first to be identified containing a type VI secretion system which is important for its patogenesity [1]