Pseudomonas Cepacia at Summer Camps for Persons with Cystic Fibrosis

Pseudomonas cepacia (PC) is a multidrug-resistant, gram-negative bacillus that causes chronic colonization and infection of the respiratory tract of persons with cystic fibrosis (CF). PC colonization is usually difficult to eradicate with antimicrobial therapy and, in some patients, infection is associated with rapid decline in pulmonary function, increased hospitalization, and earlier death. Previous studies have suggested person-to-person transmission of PC both within and outside of hospitals. However, possible transmission of PC at CF summer camps--sites for physical and psychosocial therapy for many patients--has not been well characterized. To assess the risk for PC transmission in this setting, in 1987 and 1990, the CF Foundation and CDC conducted epidemiologic investigations in four CF summer camps in Michigan, Ohio, Utah, and Ontario, Canada. This report summarizes the results of these studies.