Epidemiology of fungal infections: the promise of molecular typing.
As the incidence of invasive fungal disease-particularly nosocomial candidal infection-has increased significantly over the past two decades, molecular typing has become increasingly important for the development of rational infection-control measures and therapeutic strategies. Numerous molecular methods have been used to subtype Candida species, including restriction endonuclease analysis of genomic DNA, Southern hybridization analysis, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and polymerase chain reaction-based approaches. Increasingly, typing techniques are being applied to other fungal organisms as well. Although an ideal epidemiological typing technique applicable to a wide range of fungal pathogens is not yet available, several molecular-typing methods may permit rapid, simple, and sensitive discrimination of specific strains among the most clinically important species of fungi.
Pfaller
M A
MA
Department of Pathology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242, USA.
D001230:Aspergillus / Q000145:classification*; D002175:Candida / Q000145:classification*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D016533:Mycological Typing Techniques; D009181:Mycoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015003:Yeasts / Q000145:classification*