title: Invasive aspergillus infection: possible non-ward common source within the hospital environment.
abstract: Six immunocompromised patients housed in widely separated portions of a hospital campus developed invasive aspergillosis during a single month. This represented a significant increase (P less than .001) in the number of cases observed over the 3 years which included this event (19 cases in 36 months). Epidemiological investigation suggested that this cluster of cases was due to a common source outbreak related to construction activity in a central radiology suite serving the hospital. Such non-ward exposures to nosocomial hazards are becoming increasingly important for immunosuppressed hosts.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hopkins
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Rubin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D005260:Female; D006749:Hospital Design and Construction; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D013029:Space-Time Clustering; D013172:Spores, Fungal