Species Distribution and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Burkholderia cepacia Complex from Multicenter Clinical Settings in Shaoxing, China.

This study characterized the clinical distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC) isolates in the Shaoxing region. A total of 303 clinical BCC isolates collected from 15 healthcare facilities during 2023 were analyzed using MALDI-TOF MS for identification and VITEK 2 COMPACT for susceptibility testing, following CLSI 2023 guidelines (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, 2023). B. cenocepacia (75.2%), B. multivorans (13.5%), and B. cepacia (6.9%) were the predominant species, while six isolates remained unidentified at the species level. Isolates were recovered primarily from male patients (58.1%), individuals over 65 years (70.0%), and ICU (intensive care unit) patients (59.7%). Respiratory specimens - including sputum, throat swabs, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid - accounted for the majority of isolates (79.5%), followed by pleural/ascitic fluids and blood (11.9%), and urine (2.3%). B. cenocepacia was more prevalent in male patients (63.6%), whereas B. multivorans and B. cepacia predominantly affected females, accounting for 63.4% and 61.9% of cases, respectively (p = 0.001). Regarding age distribution, the majority of patients across all three species were over 65 years of age, with no statistically significant difference observed among the groups (p = 0.713). Significant associations were also found between species and both hospital setting (p = 0.020) and specimen type (p<0.001). All three major species exhibited high susceptibility (>90%) to ceftazidime, with no significant differences among them. In contrast, statistically significant differences (P<0.05) were observed in the susceptibility rates of B. cenocepacia compared to the other two species toward minocycline, meropenem, levofloxacin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. These results highlight the necessity of AST (Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing)-guided therapy to optimize treatment and limit resistance development.