GENOTYPIC ANALYSIS OF BURKHOLDERIA-CEPACIA ISOLATES FROM 13 FRENCH CYSTIC-FIBROSIS CENTERS

Burkholderia cepacia has been involved in outbreaks of pulmonary infec tion among patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), and the spread of a hig hly transmissible clone has been reported throughout the United Kingdo m and Canada, These data prompted a DNA-based typing study of the stra ins recovered in French CF centers. Ninety-five isolates recovered fro m 71 patients attending 13 CF centers in 9 regions of France were char acterized by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis and pu lsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Twenty-one genotypes were ident ified among the 95 isolates, and the results of RAPD and PFGE were con cordant for 89 isolates (94%). Cross-colonization was demonstrated in 7 of the 13 CF centers. The investigation of serial isolates showed th at most chronically colonized patients harbored a single B. cepacia st rain, A geographically clustered distribution of B. cepacia genotypes was observed, except for one genotype, which was detected in four regi ons but was proven to be different from the genotype of the British-Ca nadian highly transmissible strain. The present study confirms the abi lity of B. cepacia to spread among CF communities in France and the im portance of epidemiological surveys in the institution of prevention p olicies.