An Outbreak of Burkholderia cepacia Bacteremia in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the source of infection, to study the clinical profile and outcomes of neonates with Burkholderia septicemia and to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of the isolates.

METHODS: The authors describe a 3 mo outbreak of nosocomial Burkholderia cepacia bacteremia involving 12 neonates. During the outbreak, ventilator humidifier water, intravenous solutions and other possible sources were taken from the concerned neonatal intensive care units (NICUs); cultured and isolates identified by standard microbiological techniques and VITEK system. Clinical details of affected babies were also obtained to ascertain the clinical significance of the isolates.

RESULTS: All neonates had clinical and biochemical evidence of sepsis and the source could be tracked to intravenous solutions of 5% dextrose, normal saline (opened bottles) and continuous positive airway pressure humidifier water. Strain relatedness of the environmental isolates with the clinical isolates is likely as antibiotic susceptibility patterns were similar.

CONCLUSIONS: The investigations revealed the source of the nosocomial outbreak which is crucial for initiating appropriate control measures.