The Darwin region in northern Australia has experienced rapid population growth 
in recent years, and with it, an increased incidence of melioidosis. Previous 
studies in Darwin have associated the environmental presence of Burkholderia 
pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis, with anthropogenic land usage 
and proximity to animals. In our study, we estimated the occurrence of B. 
pseudomallei and Burkholderia spp. relatives in faecal matter of wildlife, 
livestock and domestic animals in the Darwin region. A total of 357 faecal 
samples were collected and bacteria isolated through culture and direct DNA 
extraction after enrichment in selective media. Identification of B. 
pseudomallei, B. ubonensis, and other Burkholderia spp. was carried out using 
TTS1, Bu550, and recA BUR3-BUR4 quantitative PCR assays, respectively. B. 
pseudomallei was detected in seven faecal samples from wallabies and a chicken. 
B. cepacia complex spp. and Pandoraea spp. were cultured from wallaby faecal 
samples, and B. cenocepacia and B. cepacia were also isolated from livestock 
animals. Various bacteria isolated in this study represent opportunistic human 
pathogens, raising the possibility that faecal shedding contributes to the 
expanding geographical distribution of not just B. pseudomallei but other 
Burkholderiaceae that can cause human disease.