Nosocomial bloodstream infections with Burkholderia stabilis

Burkholderia stabilis was grown from blood cultures of seven patients presenting with signs and symptoms of septicaemia in the intensive care unit at Mersin University Hospital, Mersin, Turkey between July and October 2002. Four patients had one B. stabilis-positive blood culture, two patients had two, and one patient had four. Isolates from six of seven patients had the same resistotype and random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis type. Despite treatment with ciprofloxacin and imipenem, to which the strains were susceptible, all patients died one to eight days after isolation of B. stabilis from their blood. B. stabilis should be regarded as an opportunistic pathogen that may cause nosocomial bloodstream infections.