Molecular epidemiology of Candida parapsilosis sepsis from outbreak investigations in neonatal intensive care units.
The DNA probe, Cp3-13, was used in a Southern blot assay for genotyping Candida parapsilosis (CP) from 3 fungemia outbreaks in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in the southeastern U.S. Genotyping, in 2 outbreaks, supplied evidence of horizontal transmission of CP. In the third outbreak, bloodstream isolates (BSIs) of 2 genotypes circulated in the NICU, one was shared by a BSI and a healthcare worker's hand culture. A fourth cluster of recurrent episodes of fungemia occurred in outpatients of a children's hospital receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN) at home. Each child was infected with a different CP genotype which persisted during recurrences. These genotypes were included in a dendrogram from a CDC population-based surveillance for candidemia consisting of 73 clone-corrected Cp3-13 genotypes (overall SAB = 0.36). Analysis revealed a cluster of 11 genotypes (mean SAB = 0.66) including 3 pairs with identical hybridization profiles. A second cluster of 8 genotypes contained clones from 3 outbreaks (mean SAB = 0.76) but no clustering of genotypes specific for neonates was identified. No decreased susceptibility to azole and polyene antifungal agents was detected in this collection of CP. The frequent occurrence of transmission of CP in this vulnerable population underlines the relevance of Cp3-13 subtyping to investigate suspected transmission and persistence of CP strains in the NICU.
Reissa
Errol
E
Mycotic Diseases Branch, Division of Foodborne, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for Zoonotic, Vector borne, and Enteric Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. err2@cdc.gov
Lasker
Brent A
BA
Iqbal
Naureen J
NJ
James
Michael  J
M
Arthington-Skaggs
Beth A
BA
D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002175:Candida / Q000235:genetics*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal; D018740:Genetic Heterogeneity; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D012331:RNA, Fungal