''Ralstonia'' is a genus of

bacteria Bacteria (; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of Prokaryote, prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micr ...

, previously included in the genus ''

Pseudomonas ''Pseudomonas'' is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria belonging to the family Pseudomonadaceae in the class Gammaproteobacteria. The 348 members of the genus demonstrate a great deal of metabolic diversity and consequently are able to colonize a ...

''. It is named after the American bacteriologist Ericka Ralston. Ericka Ralston was born in 1944 in Saratoga, California, and died in 2015 in Sebastopol, California. While in graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley, she identified 20 strains of ''Pseudomonas'' which formed a phenotypical homologous group, and named them ''Pseudomonas pickettii'', after M.J. Pickett in the Department of Bacteriology at the University of California at Los Angeles, from whom she had received the strains. Later, ''P. pickettii'' was transferred to the new genus ''Ralstonia'', along with several other species. She continued her research into bacterial pathogenesis under the name of Ericka Barrett while a professor of microbiology at the University of California at Davis from 1977 until her retirement in 1996.

Genomics

''Ralstonia'' Genome Projects
(fro
Genomes OnLine Database

Comparative Analysis of ''Ralstonia'' Genomes
(at DOE's IMG system) ''Ralstonia ''has also been identified as a common contaminant of DNA extraction kit or PCR reagents, which may lead to its erroneous appearance in microbiota or metagenomic datasets. ''Ralstonia'' is one of the most common pathogens for causing nosocomial infections in immunocompromised patients. Those receiving mechanical ventilation are twelve times more likely of developing the infection than those not on a mechanical ventilator.

Ecology

''Ralstonia'' has been identified in the milk of water deer, reindeer and goats. ''Ralstonia pickettii, Ralstonia insidiosa and Ralstonia mannitolilytica'' have been found in many different environments including in clinical situations where they can act as pathogens. ''Ralstonia'' has been also reported as responsible for nosocomial outbreaks of bloodstream infections, linked to the contamination of medication vials.

Outbreaks

On 28 November 2023 an outbreak of ''Ralstonia'' was reported in hospitals across Australia from an apparent contamination of Saline products imported from overseas. There are 43 suspected cases of infection, and one death of an elderly patient in the state of Queensland. The outbreak led the Therapeutic Goods Administration to issue an alert, and remove two saline products from Australian private and public hospitals.

References

Burkholderiaceae Bacteria genera {{Betaproteobacteria-stub