Pathogens
Burkholderia cepacia complex

Burkholderia cepacia complex

Precautions

Contact Precautions

Susceptibilities

General Information

Gram negative bacillus

Ubiquitous water and soil pathogen.

Person-to-person spread has been documented, particularly among cystic fibrosis patients.

Important pathogen in cystic fibrosis and lung transplant recipients.

  • Infectious Diseases consultation should be obtained for assistance with antimicrobial therapy.
  • Antimicrobial therapy should be guided by susceptibility testing whenever possible.
  • Treatment options are often limited.
  • Chronic infection with B. cepacia complex is associated with an accelerated decline in pulmonary function and shortened survival in cystic fibrosis.
  • Lung transplantation in patients infected with B. cepacia complex often leads to recurrent and often severe infection with poor outcomes, causing most transplantation centers to consider it a strong contraindication to transplantation.