Outbreak of Burkholderia cepacia complex associated with contaminated liquid soap for hospital use: A case study

Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC) is gram negative bacteria which causes different types of human infections including catheter-associated infections and respiratory tract infections especially in immunocompromised patients. This study was conducted to decide the source, to prevent the possible hospital outbreak of BCC and to determine the epidemiological source. Eleven cartridge of liquid soaps were purchased by Near East University Hospital, Nicosia. Liquid soaps were cultured on 5% sheep blood agar and Eosine Methilene Blue Agar at 35°C in 24 h. Colonies which suspected were confirmed by Phoenix 100. Patient blood was cultured in BD Bactec Plus Aerobic culture bottles. BCC strains and patient blood sample were identified by using two different polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. The liquid soaps were contaminated with BCC. A few days later, in the blood culture of the 35-year-old Turkish Cyptiot male patient, BCC was identified. The molecular results indicated that the BCC strain isolated from the patient blood culture was identical with the strain isolated from the liquid soaps. The molecular epidemiological studies showed that the patient blood culture strain and the liquid soap strain was in the same cluster. It was suggested that the liquid soaps should always be analyzed and then distributed to the hospital departments.