Characterization of a possible nosocomial aspergillosis outbreak.
OBJECTIVE
To study the epidemiologic aspects of a suspected outbreak of nosocomial invasive aspergillosis.


METHODS
Sixteen Aspergillus fumigatus strains were isolated from bronchoalveolar washings or sputa of 10 patients during a 9-month period. Furthermore, two environmental samples, isolated in a microbiological screening of the hospital, were also available for analysis. Random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis (RAPD) was carried out.


RESULTS
The analysis performed by RAPD clearly demonstrated substantial genetic variation among the isolates. Both of the two different primers selected for RAPD analysis (R-108 and AP12h) were able to demonstrate that the strains isolated from all patients infected with the same fungal species and the environmental samples were genotypically distinct. The results by RAPD typing demonstrated that this technique could detect variability among isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus from different patients and even from the same patient.


CONCLUSIONS
RAPD genotyping proved that the outbreak of invasive aspergillosis consisted of a series of events, non-related, and probably not coming from the same source within the hospital. This type of analysis is an easy, quick and highly discriminatory technique that may help in planning epidemiologic studies of aspergillosis.
Mellado
E
E
Servicio de Micología, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Spain.
Diaz-Guerra
T M
TM
Cuenca-Estrella
M
M
Buendia
V
V
Aspa
J
J
Prieto
E
E
Villagrasa
J R
JR
Rodriguez-Tudela
J L
JL
D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*