title: An outbreak of Burkholderia stabilis colonization in a nasal ward.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to describe an outbreak of Burkholderia stabilis colonization among patients in a nasal ward.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was used for the molecular typing of B. stabilis isolates. Microbiological records were reviewed to delineate the colonization outbreak period. One hundred seventy-one cultures of environment and equipment samples from the nasal ward were performed to trace the source of contamination. Infection control measures were taken in order to end the outbreak.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All B. stabilis isolates were identified as a new MLST type, ST821. A total of 53 patients carried this B. stabilis in the nasal ward between March and September 2013, which was defined as the outbreak period. The source of the colonization was not determined because all environment cultures were negative for Burkholderia cepacia complex. No further B. stabilis carriers have been found in the ward since the implementation of interventions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Attention must be paid to asymptomatic colonization in order to identify outbreaks early.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Tsinghua Chang Gung Hospital, Medical Center, Tsinghua University, No. 168 Litang Road, Dongxiaokou Town, Changping District, Beijing 102218, China. Electronic address: wanglijun@btch.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Lijun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Department of Otolaryngology, Daqing Oilfield General Hospital, Daqing, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Junyi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Xi'an No. 1 Hospital, Xi'an City, Shanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Tsinghua Chang Gung Hospital, Medical Center, Tsinghua University, No. 168 Litang Road, Dongxiaokou Town, Changping District, Beijing 102218, China.
authors.forename: Yanyan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D019117:Burkholderia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019121:Burkholderia Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006801:Humans; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D009668:Nose Diseases / Q000150:complications
keywords: Burkholderia stabilis; Hospital; MLST; Nasal; Outbreak