[2] It is a soil-dwelling bacterium endemic in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, particularly in Thailand and northern Australia.

[3] It was reported in 2008 that there had been an expansion of the affected regions due to significant natural disasters, and it could be found in Southern China, Hong Kong, and countries in the Americas.

[6] It is resistant to a variety of harsh conditions including nutrient deficiency, extreme temperature or pH.

In vitro, optimal proliferation temperature is reported around 40 °C in neutral or slightly acidic environments (pH 6.8–7.0).

The majority of strains are capable of oxidation, not fermentation, of sugars without gas formation (most importantly, glucose and galactose; older cultures are reported to also metabolize maltose and starch).

The role of the toxins identified in the process of melioidosis symptom development has not been fully elucidated.

[12] For heavily contaminated samples, such as feces, a modified version of Ashdown's that includes norfloxacin, amoxicillin, and polymyxin B has been proposed.

[22] Even when the isolate is recognized to be significant, commonly used identification systems may misidentify the organism as Chromobacterium violaceum or other nonfermenting, Gram-negative bacilli such as Burkholderia cepacia or Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

[29] Unfortunately, the majority of strains in Sarawak, Borneo, are susceptible to aminoglycosides and macrolides, which means the conventional recommendations for isolation and identification do not apply there.

[33] In Thailand, a latex agglutination assay is widely used,[26] while a rapid immunofluorescence technique is also available in a small number of centres.

Note: + = Positive, – =Negative Burkholderia pseudomallei is susceptible to numerous disinfectants, including benzalkonium chloride, iodine, mercuric chloride, potassium permanganate, 1% sodium hypochlorite, 70% ethanol, 2% glutaraldehyde, and to a lesser extent, phenolic preparations.

[39] Burkholderia pseudomallei infection in humans is called melioidosis or Whitmore's disease.

[28] While various antibiotics are active in vitro (e.g., chloramphenicol, doxycycline, co-trimoxazole), they have been proven to be inferior in vivo for the treatment of acute melioidosis.

[52] It possesses a uniquely fusogenic type VI secretion system that is required for cell-cell spread and virulence in mammalian hosts.

[55] B. pseudomallei is intrinsically resistant to many antimicrobial agents by virtue of its efflux pump mechanism.