Genotypic and phenotypic relatedness of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates among the major cystic fibrosis patient cohort in Italy.

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the predominant pathogen associated with the decline of pulmonary function in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Both environment-to-host acquisition and patient-to-patient transmission have been described for P. aeruginosa infection.