Home
Search our site

Bacteria and microbes in Cystic Fibrosis.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonads are commonly found in soil, water, and other such natural environments.

To healthy individuals, these bacteria do not generally constitute a health threat.

They have been found to be remarkably adept at growth by using most unusual sources of nutrients such as soap residues or glue.

In hospitals, P. aeruginosa has been known to cause problems in debilitated patients and is a common cause of disease in children with cystic fibrosis.

These persistent creatures have been found in unlikely places such as air vents, water hoses, and even in detergent holding tanks in the very machines that are used to clean medical instruments.

Burkholderia cepacia

(formerly Pseudomonas cepacia) is a bacterium found in approximately 5% of those with CF.

Cepacia Syndrome is when someone infected with B. cepacia experiences rapid decline in health.

There are 7 types of B. cepacia associated with Cepacia Syndrome.

Cepacia Sepsis is when B. cepacia enters the bloodstream.

82% of B. cepacia strains have no effective synergistic antibiotic combination available.

Some types of bacteria, once resistant, seldom return to a sensitive state.

B. cepacia is one such bacterium, which seldom loses its resistant nature.

B. cepacia survives on the skin for up to 60 minutes, on a moist surface for up to one week, and in water for years.

This makes indirect spread possible.

Since B. cepacia broke out in the 80's, segregation and strict hygiene has helped in limiting it's spread.

S. maltophilia

is a ubiquitous organism, which has been increasingly identified as a significant pathogen in cystic fibrosis.

When it occurs in addition to the more usual pathogens, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, it seem to be directly related to the patients’ deterioration.

Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus, often referred to simply as "staph," are bacteria commonly carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people.

Occasionally, staph can cause an infection; staph bacteria are one of the most common causes of skin infections in the United States.

Most of these infections are minor (such as pimples and boils) and most can be treated without antibiotics (also known as antimicrobials or antibacterials).

However, staph bacteria can also cause serious infections (such as surgical wound infections and pneumonia).

In the past, most serious staph bacteria infections were treated with a certain type of antibiotic related to penicillin.

Over the past 50 years, treatment of these infections has become more difficult because staph bacteria have become resistance to various antibiotics, including the commonly used penicillin-related antibiotics.

These resistant bacteria are called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

Aspergillus fumigatus


is a fungus that can grow in the cavity of a lung that has been damaged previously by an infection.

Often, the infected person does not exhibit symptoms for quite a while.

When symptoms do appear, they usually include coughing, feeling worn out, and weight loss.

There is also a possibility of coughing blood when someone is infected with aspergillus.

It is usually treated with large doses of anti-fungal drugs such as amphotericin B. or itraconazole.