PCR-based detection and genomovar identification of Burkholderia cepacia complex in patients with cystic fibrosis

Recently, Burkholderia cepacia has been emerged as an important opportunistic pathogen in these patients; due to its increased isolation from patients with cystic fibrosis since late1970s, the capacity for spread of infection among the cystic fibrosis patient community, its role in damaging lung functions, and its innate multiantibiotic resistance. These different aspects make isolation of Burkholderia cepacia an important task in cystic fibrosis health care settings. The study population consisted of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients attended or recruited to three hospitals of Tehran. We examined the capacity of recA-based primers for species (genomovar)-level identification of B.cepacia complex isolated on BCSA medium. Six B.cepacia and two B.gladioli were isolated and identified in this study. The results of the present study confirmed high sensitivity and specificity of recA-based primers for the identification of B.cepacia complex bacteria. The results also were suggestive of high selective capacity of BCSA medium for isolation of B.cepacia complex bacteria and B.gladioli.