Burkholderia cepacia is the name for a group or “complex” of bacteria that can be found in soil and water. B. cepacia bacteria are often resistant to common antibiotics.
B. cepacia poses little medical risk to healthy people. However, people who have certain health problems like weakened immune systems or chronic lung diseases, particularly cystic fibrosis, may be more susceptible to infections with B. cepacia. B cepacia is a known cause of infections in hospitalized patients.
The effects of B. cepacia on people vary widely, ranging from no symptoms at all to serious respiratory infections, especially in patients with cystic fibrosis.
Photo Credit: Janice Haney Carr, CDC
Content credit: CDC
