Occurrence of Burkholderia cepacia complex, Ralstonia and Pandoraea species DNAs in the coastal environment of the Straits of Messina (Italy)

The Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc), and members of Ralstonia and Pandoraea genera have become important opportunistic human pathogens that cause severe infections in patients with cystic fibrosis and in other immunocompromised patients. It is not clear whether marine environment represents a natural reservoir for microbial infection, or it becomes secondarily contaminated by human waste. The aim of this study was to detect Bcc, Ralstonia and Pandoraea species in the coastal waters of the Straits of Messina (Italy) by using molecular techniques. To achieve this goal, primers targeting Bcc recA and Ralstonia-Pandoraea specific 16S rRNA genes were used in a PCR method. Bcc recA and Pandoraea 16S rRNA genes are present both in seawater and in plankton samples in the coastal environment of Messina, Italy. The recovery of Ralstonia 16S rDNA genes from marine samples was unsuccessful. The detection of B. cepacia complex and Ralstonia spp. DNA in Mediterranean coastal environment may be relevant in order to consider the marine environment as reservoir for these bacteria.