title: Wooden sticks as the source of a pseudoepidemic of infection with Rhizopus microsporus var. rhizopodiformis among immunocompromised patients.
abstract: Wooden sticks used to suspend feces obtained for surveillance cultures were found to be the source of Rhizopus microsporus var. rhizopodiformis causing a pseudo-outbreak among 17 immunocompromised patients cared for in three different wards. Nonsterile wooden products should therefore not be used for collecting, handling, and processing specimens for microbiological examination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Nijmegen, The Netherlands. P.Verweij@mmb.azn.nl
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Verweij
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Voss
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Donnelly
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: de Pauw
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Meis
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D009091:Mucormycosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D013048:Specimen Handling