A real-time loop mediated isothermal amplification assay for molecular detection of Burkholderia mallei, the aetiological agent of a zoonotic and re-emerging disease glanders.

•Glanders, primarily a disease of equines needs early diagnosis for timely disease management in humans and infection containment in animals.•The present LAMP assay rapidly detects B. mallei obviating the requirement of thermal cycler.•The assay can detect as low as 250 fg genomic DNA of B. mallei.•The assay presents the detection of B. mallei in artificially spiked blood and tap water samples.•LAMP assay can be a viable alternative to the PCR based detection of B. mallei in glanders endemic regions with resource-limited settings.