Structured surveillance of Achromobacter, Pandoraea and Ralstonia species from patients in England with cystic fibrosis

Abstract

A structured survey of the cystic fibrosis pathogens Achromobacter, Pandoraea and Ralstonia species from thirteen sentinel hospitals throughout England was undertaken by Public Health England. One isolate per patient of these genera collected from CF patients during the seven-month survey period in 2015 was requested from participating hospitals. Species-level identification was performed using nrdA/gyrB sequence cluster analysis, and genotyping by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. In total, 176 isolates were included in the survey; 138 Achromobacter spp. (78.4%), 29 Pandoraea spp. (16.5%) and 9 Ralstonia spp. (5.1%). Novel Achromobacter and Pandoraea clusters were identified. High levels of antimicrobial resistance were found, particularly among Pandoraea isolates. Genotyping analysis revealed considerable diversity, however one geographically-widespread cluster of A. xylosoxidans isolates from six hospitals was found, in addition to two other clusters, both comprising isolates from two hospitals, either derived from the same region (A. xylosoxidans), or from hospitals within the same city (P. apista).

Keywords: Achromobacter; CF; Pandoraea; Ralstonia; Survey.