Nosocomial invasive aspergillosis in a heart transplant patient acquired during a break in the HEPA air filtration system.
We report a case of nosocomially acquired invasive aspergillosis (IA) in a low-risk heart transplant recipient due to a break in the air conditioning system. A high overload of Aspergillus spores in the intensive care unit room led this patient to acquire IA. Identical environmental and patient isolates allowed our hypothesis to be confirmed and a very precise incubation time to be estimated.
Muñoz
P
P
Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Doctor Esquerdo 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain. pmunoz@micro.hggm.es
Guinea
J
J
Peláez
T
T
Durán
C
C
Blanco
J L
JL
Bouza
E
E
D000389:Air Conditioning; D000391:Air Microbiology; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005374:Filtration / Q000295:instrumentation; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000302:isolation & purification