Burkholderia cenocepacia is a species of Gram-negative bacteria that is common in the environment and may cause disease in plants. It is an opportunistic pathogen and human infections are common in patients with cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is a recessive genetic disease affecting most critically the lungs, and also the pancreas, liver, and intestine...

 and chronic granulomatous disease

Chronic granulomatous disease

Chronic granulomatous disease is a diverse group of hereditary diseases in which certain cells of the immune system have difficulty forming the reactive oxygen compounds used to kill certain ingested pathogens...

, and are often fatal. In cystic fibrosis, it can cause "cepacia syndrome" which is characterized by a rapidly progressive fever, uncontrolled bronchopneumonia, weight loss, and possibly death. Originally defined as B. cepacia, the group has now been split into nine species, and B. cenocepacia is one of the most intensively-studied.