Increased incidence of fungemia caused by Candida krusei.
Candida krusei colonized 12.4% of 868 patients undergoing episodes of therapy-induced granulocytopenia over a 9-year period. The gastrointestinal tract was most frequently colonized, followed by the respiratory tract and urinary tract. Ten patients developed systemic infections with C. krusei; all 10 had two or more positive blood cultures. Nine of the 10 patients were colonized with C. krusei, and 6 were receiving systemic antifungal agents at the time of development of the infection. Seven patients died within 1 month of C. krusei sepsis; systemic candidiasis was seen in the autopsies of the four patients on whom autopsies were performed. Therefore, C. krusei should be recognized as an emerging pathogen in select patient populations.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000380:Agranulocytosis / Q000150:complications*; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004064:Digestive System / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000382:microbiology; D014551:Urinary Tract / Q000382:microbiology