Development of protection

The immune system plays a pivotal role in orchestrating the ho st response that dictates the outcome of Burkholderia pseudomallei infection. Despite a century of research, there remain many deficits in our understanding of the host immune responses underlying susceptibility and resistance to this bacterium. In this Section, the current understanding of why certain individuals are more susceptible to this disease, and the possible impact of selected risk factors on the host immune response to the pathogen, is described. An outline of how early host- pathogen interactions set the stage for activation of adaptive immune responses and resolution of the infection is provided. Potential avenues for filling the important gaps in our current underslanding of host-pathogen interactions are briefiy discussed. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. AU rights reserved