Aspergillus terreus infections in haematological malignancies: molecular epidemiology suggests association with in-hospital plants

During a three-year period nine patients with haematological diseases after myeloablative chemotherapy died from invasive fungal infections caused by Aspergillus terreus. The hospital inanimate environment was monitored andA. terreus was cultured from potted plants in the vicinity of the patients. T...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	The Journal of hospital infection Vol. 46; no. 1; pp. 31 - 35
Main Authors:	Lass-Flörl, C, Rath, P.-M, Niederwieser, D, Kofler, G, Würzner, R, Krezy, A, Dierich, M.P
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Kent Elsevier Ltd 01-09-2000 Elsevier
Subjects:	aspergillosis Aspergillosis, Allergic Bronchopulmonary - complications Aspergillosis, Allergic Bronchopulmonary - epidemiology Aspergillus - classification Aspergillus - genetics Aspergillus - isolation & purification Aspergillus terreus Biological and medical sciences Cross Infection - complications Cross Infection - epidemiology Cross Infection - microbiology Disease Outbreaks DNA Fingerprinting DNA Primers DNA, Fungal - chemistry Genotype Germany - epidemiology Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases hospital-acquired infection Hospitalization Humans Leukemia - complications Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis Lung Diseases, Fungal - complications Lung Diseases, Fungal - epidemiology Lung Diseases, Fungal - microbiology Medical sciences Plants - microbiology Polymerase Chain Reaction Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique RAPD typing Soil Microbiology Germany RAPD typing Aspergillus terreus hospital-acquired infection aspergillosis Human Nosocomial infection Opportunistic infection Typing Mycosis Malignant hemopathy Random amplified polymorphic DNA marker Fungi Infection Microbiological investigation Aspergillosis Molecular epidemiology Complication Fungi Imperfecti Diagnosis Disseminated Hospital Thallophyta
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	During a three-year period nine patients with haematological diseases after myeloablative chemotherapy died from invasive fungal infections caused by Aspergillus terreus. The hospital inanimate environment was monitored andA. terreus was cultured from potted plants in the vicinity of the patients. The patients (N= 14) and the environmental isolates (N= 2) were fingerprinted by RAPD-PCR with four different primers. Based on RAPD patterns the patients' isolates were differentiated into five different types; the environmental isolates represented two types. The isolates of four patients were identical to those found in the environment. Five additional patients were infected by RAPD types not found in the environment. One patient was infected with two different types. The data indicate a hospital-acquired infection in many of the patients and underline the need for careful environmental monitoring of units in which high-risk patients are housed.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 ObjectType-Article-1 ObjectType-Feature-2
ISSN:	0195-6701 1532-2939
DOI:	10.1053/jhin.2000.0799