Burkholderia anthina sp. nov. and Burkholderia pyrrocinia, two additional Burkholderia cepacia complex bacteria, may confound results of new molecular diagnostic tools.

Nineteen Burkholderia cepacia-like isolates of human and environmental origin could not be assigned to one of the seven currently established genomovars using recently developed molecular diagnostic tools for B. cepacia complex bacteria. Various genotypic and phenotypic characteristics were examined. The results of this polyphasic study allowed classification of the 19 isolates as an eighth B. cepacia complex genomovar (Burkholderia anthina sp. nov.) and to design tools for its identification in the diagnostic laboratory. In addition, new and published data for Burkholderia pyrrocinia indicated that this soil bacterium is also a member of the B. cepacia complex. This highlights another potential source for diagnostic problems with B. cepacia-like bacteria.