Lack of evidence of nosocomial cross-infection by Burkholderia cepacia among Danish cystic fibrosis patients.

Burkholderia cepacia isolates from nine of the ten Danish cystic fibrosis (CF) patients known between 1975 and the present day to carry this organism were investigated. Eight distinct genotypes were found with polymerase chain reaction ribotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The results indicate that there is little patient-to-patient cross-infection with Burkholderia cepacia within the Danish CF population, even though the majority of patients attend the same CF clinic on a regular basis.