What is Burkholderia infection?

Burkholderia cepacia, or B. cepacia, is a group of bacteria found in soil and water. It can cause serious respiratory infections in patients who are susceptible to illness. Several non-respiratory B. cepacia outbreaks have been linked to contaminated medical products.

What disease is caused by Burkholderia cepacia?

Burkholderia cepacia, a bacteria which used to be called Pseudomonas cepacia, is a rare but significant threat to people living with cystic fibrosis (CF). While the infection is most often symptom-free, it can turn serious, and even life-threatening.

Is there a cure for Burkholderia cepacia?

Burkholderia bacteria are often resistant to many antibiotics, which makes them difficult to treat once they infect the lungs. However, some species may be successfully treated with combinations of antibiotics.

Where does B. cepacia come from?

Transmission of B. cepacia from contaminated medicines and devices has been reported. In 2005, CDC was notified by several states of clusters of pneumonia and other infections caused by B. cepacia and associated with contaminated mouthwash.

Where is Burkholderia?

Burkholderia organisms are found in soil and water. The germs can be spread through person-to-person contact.

Is Burkholderia Gram positive or negative?

Burkholderia cepacia is an aerobic gram-negative bacillus found in various aquatic environments. B cepacia is an organism of low virulence and is a frequent colonizer of fluids used in the hospital (eg, irrigation solutions, intravenous fluids). B cepacia rarely causes infection in healthy hosts.

What causes Burkholderia?

The disease is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. It is predominately a disease of tropical climates, especially in Southeast Asia and northern Australia where it is widespread. The bacteria causing melioidosis are found in contaminated water and soil.

How can Burkholderia cepacia be prevented?

Medical Care. Patient-to-patient spread of B cepacia may be minimized and/or prevented with effective infection-control measures. Use Foley catheters only as long as necessary. If possible, avoid their use in compromised hosts predisposed to urinary tract infections (eg, patients with diabetes, SLE, multiple myeloma).

How common is Burkholderia cepacia?

cepacia infection is still fairly rare in people with CF. In the 2019 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry Highlights, only 3 percent of respondents noted a Burkholderia cepacia complex infection.

Where is Burkholderia from?

Burkholderia organisms are found in soil and water. The germs can be spread through person-to-person contact. The initial symptoms may be a low-grade fever, progressing to much more serious conditions, including pneumonia and other lung disorders that can sometimes be deadly.

Who discovered Burkholderia?

B. cepacia was discovered by Walter Burkholder in 1949 as the cause of onion skin rot, and first described as a human pathogen in the 1950s. It was first isolated in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) in 1977, when it was known as Pseudomonas cepacia.

What is B. cepacia in cystic fibrosis?

Burkholderia cenocepacia is an opportunistic pathogen particularly dangerous for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. It can cause a severe decline in CF lung function possibly developing into a life-threatening systemic infection known as cepacia syndrome.