Prevalence and species distribution of Achromobacter sp. cultured from cystic fibrosis patients attending the Aarhus centre in Denmark

Achromobacter sp. are aerobic, non-fermentative, Gramnegative rods, ubiquitously distributed in moist environments. The prevalence of Achromobacter sp. infections in the CF population has increased in recent years [2, 3] and several cases of cross-infection have been reported [3–5]. Achromobacter sp. are intrinsically resistant to a wide range of antimicrobial agents and may acquire additional resistance mechanisms; consequently, eradication of Achromobacter sp. can be difficult, and chronic infection may be established [5, 6]. Because of the antibiotic resistance, the increasing prevalence and the ability to transmit among patients, many CF centres now segregate patients colonised with Achromobacter sp.