Infection and colonisation of neonates by Hansenula anomala.
Over a 13-month period 52 neonates (10% of those admitted to the Mersey Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) were found to be colonised with the ascosporagenous yeast Hansenula anomala. 8 babies became infected, all but 1 of whom were heavily colonised before infection. 7 of the 8 infected babies were of very low birth-weight (less than 1500 g). All 8 had multiple problems associated with low birth-weight and prematurity and were kept in the intensive care unit. 5 babies had fungaemia, 2 had fungaemia and ventriculitis, and 1 had ventriculitis only. In each case H anomala was the sole pathogen isolated. Anti-Hansenula antibodies developed in 5 babies within 3 months of infection. Infected babies were successfully treated with a combination of 5-flucytosine and amphotericin B. Despite extensive searches the babies appeared to be the only reservoir of the yeast.
Murphy
N
N
Buchanan
C R
CR
Damjanovic
V
V
Whitaker
R
R
Hart
C A
CA
Cooke
R W
RW
D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000453:epidemiology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004739:England; D005437:Flucytosine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D009181:Mycoses / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D010843:Pichia / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012007:Rectum / Q000382:microbiology; D004718:Saccharomycetales / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D000666:Amphotericin B; D005437:Flucytosine