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.
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.
