A large outbreak of Trichophyton tonsurans among health care workers in a pediatric hospital.
BACKGROUND
Although Trichophyton tonsurans remains a major cause of dermataophytoses in US children, nosocomial spread may go unrecognized in health care settings. We describe a staff outbreak of T tonsurans infection among health care workers in a freestanding pediatric hospital.


METHODS
Epidemiologic evaluation (retrospective and prospective) was performed in the health care providers and ancillary staff assigned to a 27-bed inpatient medical unit in which the suspected outbreak occurred.


RESULTS
Twenty-one individuals, including staff, a hospital volunteer, and a patient, developed tinea corporis during a 5-month period. All infections coincided with multiple admissions of a 2-year-old suspected index patient who demonstrated persistent infections of the scalp and arm. Fungal isolates obtained from the index patient and affected staff (when available) were subjected to multilocus strain typing, which revealed an identical genetic match between the index case and infected hospital personnel.


CONCLUSIONS
T tonsurans can spread widely among staff members caring for children with recalcitrant dermatophyte infections. Recognition that workplace transmission may be the etiology of a succession of infections occurring in a single inpatient unit is necessary to limit the number of infected individuals.
Shroba
Jodi
J
Department of Nursing, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, Missouri 64108, USA. jashroba@cmh.edu
Olson-Burgess
Cindy
C
Preuett
Barry
B
Abdel-Rahman
Susan M
SM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006282:Health Personnel; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016533:Mycological Typing Techniques; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014005:Tinea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D014249:Trichophyton / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D004271:DNA, Fungal