The Gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of 
melioidosis, a serious infectious disease of humans and animals. Once considered 
an esoteric tropical disease confined to Southeast Asia and northern Australia, 
research on B. pseudomallei has recently gained global prominence due to its 
classification as a potential bioterrorism agent by countries such as the United 
States and also by increasing numbers of case reports from regions where it is 
not endemic. An environmental bacterium typically found in soil and water, 
assessing the true global prevalence of melioidosis is challenged by the fact 
that clinical symptoms associated with B. pseudomallei infection are extremely 
varied and may be confused with diverse conditions such as lung cancer, 
tuberculosis, or Staphyloccocus aureus infection. These diagnostic challenges, 
coupled with lack of awareness among clinicians, have likely contributed to 
underdiagnosis and the high mortality rate of melioidosis, as initial treatment 
is often either inappropriate or delayed. Even after antibiotic treatment, 
relapses are frequent, and after resolution of acute symptoms, chronic 
melioidosis can also occur, and the symptoms can persist for months to years. In 
a recent article, Price et al. [mBio 4(4):e00388-13, 2013, 
doi:10.1128/mBio.00388-13] demonstrate how comparative genomic sequencing can 
reveal the repertoire of genetic changes incurred by B. pseudomallei during 
chronic human infection. Their results have significant clinical ramifications 
and highlight B. pseudomallei's ability to survive in a wide range of potential 
niches within hosts, through the acquisition of genetic adaptations that 
optimize fitness and resource utilization.