New strategies against Stenotrophomonas maltophilia: a serious worldwide intrinsically drug-resistant opportunistic pathogen

Abstract

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a worldwide human opportunistic pathogen associated with serious infections in humans, and is most often recovered from respiratory tract infections. In addition to its intrinsic drug resistance, this organism may acquire resistance via multiple molecular mechanisms. New antimicrobial strategies are needed to combat S. maltophilia infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients, cystic fibrosis patients with polymicrobial infections of the lung, and in patients with chronic infections. This editorial reports on newer drugs and antimicrobial strategies and their potential for use in treatment of S. maltophilia infections, the development of new technologies to detect this organism, and identifies strategies currently in use to reduce transmission of this pathogen.

Keywords::

• cystic fibrosis
• levofloxacin
• multidrug resistant
• respiratory pathogen
• Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
• ticarcillin/clavulanate
• tigecycline
• trimethroprim–sulfamethoxazole

Financial & competing interests disclosure

JS Brooke has received funding from NIH (N/AID) for research with Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.