Pathogens
Burkholderia cepacia complex

Burkholderia cepacia complex

Susceptibilities

General Information

Aerobic 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.

Often highly resistant to multiple antibiotics.

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.