Antimicrobial susceptibility of Burkholderia pseudomallei isolates in Northern Vietnam

•100% of Burkholderia pseudomallei isolates were susceptible to ceftazidime, imipenem and amoxicillin-clavulanate, with MIC90s being relatively low (2μg/mL).•Primary resistance (10.9%) to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was observed.•Resistance to doxycycline occurred (0.6%) but was relatively rare.•Empirical treatment of melioidosis in Vietnam by ceftazidime or carbapenem for the acute phase of treatment and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or doxycycline for eradicative treatment are acceptable. The antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of clinical Burkholderia pseudomallei (B. pseudomallei) in Vietnam has not been reported since the first publication in 2008. The present study aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of B. pseudomallei isolated in a tertiary referral centre in Hanoi from January 2012 to December 2017. A total of 312 B. pseudomallei isolates obtained from melioidosis patients admitted to a 2000-bed general hospital were analysed by the Etest method. Interpretation of the susceptibility testing results were reported using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. All isolates were susceptible to ceftazidime, imipenem and amoxicillin-clavulanate (100%) with MIC90s relatively low (2μg/mL). Two isolates had intermediate resistance to doxycycline (0.6%) and 34 isolates were resistant to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (10.9%). The results of this study suggest that currently recommended antibiotics for melioidosis treatment can be empirically used, but continuously monitoring antimicrobial susceptibility should be a concern.