Cluster of cases of invasive aspergillosis in a transplant intensive care unit: evidence of person-to-person airborne transmission.
In October 1998, a patient developed deep surgical-site and organ-space infection with Aspergillus fumigatus 11 days after undergoing liver retransplantation; subsequently, 2 additional patients in the transplant intensive care unit had invasive pulmonary infection with A. fumigatus diagnosed. It was determined that debriding and dressing wounds infected with Aspergillus species may result in aerosolization of spores and airborne person-to-person transmission.
Pegues
David A
DA
Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1688 , USA. dpegues@mednet.ucla.edu
Lasker
Brent A
BA
McNeil
Michael M
MM
Hamm
Patricia M
PM
Lundal
Judy L
JL
Kubak
Bernard M
BM
D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000502:physiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013172:Spores, Fungal; D019737:Transplants