| Basic Characteristics | Properties (Burkholderia pseudomallei) |
| Capsule | Positive (+ve) |
| Catalase | Positive (+ve) |
| Citrate | Positive (+ve) |
| Flagella | Positive (+ve) |
| Gas | Negative (-ve) |
| Gelatin Hydrolysis | Positive (+ve) |
| Gram Staining | Gram-negative (-ve) |
| H2S | Negative (-ve) |
| Indole | Negative (-ve) |
| Motility | Positive (+ve) |
| Nitrate Reduction | Positive (+ve) |
| Oxidase | Positive (+ve) |
| Pigment | Negative (-ve) |
| Shape | Rod-shaped; “safety pin” appearance (bipolar staining) |
| Spore | Negative (-ve) |
| TSIA (Triple Sugar Iron Agar) | K/NC/H2S -ve |
| Urease | Negative (-ve) |
| Arabinose | Positive (+ve) |
| Arabitol | Positive (+ve) |
| Cellobiose | Positive (+ve) |
| Dulcitol | Positive (+ve) |
| Erythritol | Positive (+ve) |
| Fructose | Positive (+ve) |
| Galactose | Positive (+ve) |
| Glucose | Positive (+ve) |
| Glycerol | Positive (+ve) |
| Hippurate | Positive (+ve) |
| Inositol | Positive (+ve) |
| Inulin | Negative (-ve) |
| Lactose | Negative (-ve) |
| Maltose | Negative (-ve) |
| Mannitol | Variable |
| Mannose | Positive (+ve) |
| Rhamnose | Negative (-ve) |
| Ribose | Positive (+ve) |
| Starch | Positive (+ve) |
| Sucrose | Positive (+ve) |
| Tartrate | Negative (-ve) |
| Trehalose | Positive (+ve) |
| Xylose | Negative (-ve) |
| Acetate Utilization | Positive (+ve) |
| Arginine Dehydrolase | Positive (+ve) |
| Esculin Hydrolysis | Variable |
| Lecithinase | Positive (+ve) |
| Lipase | Positive (+ve) |
| Ornithine Decarboxylase | Positive (+ve) |
| Superoxide Dismutase | Positive (+ve) |