Persistent Colonization of Nine Cystic Fibrosis Patients with an<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Achromobacter</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alcaligenes</Emphasis>)<Emphasis Type="Italic"> xylosoxidans</Emphasis> Clone

The present study was conducted to investigate the increasing incidence of Achromobacter (previously Alcaligenes) xylosoxidans isolates being recovered from sputum samples of cystic fibrosis patients at a cystic fibrosis department for adults in Athens, Greece. During the 1-year study period, a total of 34 isolates were detected persistently in 9 of 71 cystic fibrosis patients. The isolates exhibited resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents. Isolates that were recovered repeatedly from each patient exhibited identical macrorestriction profiles with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, indicating that the same strain persisted in the lungs of these patients. Isolates from five of the patients were genetically related, suggesting a common-source outbreak of Achromobacter xylosoxidans colonization or infection.