Melioidosis is an infectious disease caused by the Gram-negative bacterium 
Burkholderia pseudomallei. Interest in the molecular identification of B. 
pseudomallei has increased after its classification as a category B agent by the 
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The present article reports a 
diagnosis of B. pseudomallei directly in a bronchoalveolar lavage by polymerase 
chain reaction amplification. The results obtained show that direct detection of 
the 16-23s spacer sequence in bronchoalveolar lavage is a quick and specific 
test to diagnose melioidosis.