Cluster analysis of Scedosporium boydii infections in a single hospital.
Scedosporiosis is a rare, but often fatal mycotic infection occurring in immunosuppressed as well as in immunocompetent patients. Over a period of 14 months, Scedosporium boydii isolates were sent to our reference laboratory from six immunocompetent patients treated at a single hospital in Germany. In analogy to the EORTC/MSG criteria, four patients were classified as proven invasive scedosporiosis cases, and two patients as probable or possible cases. Of note, in five patients scedosporiosis was diagnosed between 1 and 14 months (median 5.0 months) after cardiac surgery. Despite antimycotic treatment two patients died, and three were lost for long-term follow-up. All clinical S. boydii isolates were characterized by molecular analysis using multilocus sequence typing (MLST). An identical MLST type was found in five patients who had been treated in the surgery unit, suggesting a link between these infections. The source of S. boydii has not been identified. Within an observation period of 2 years before and after this cluster of infections no further cases of scedosporiosis were reported from this hospital.
Robert Koch Institute, Division 16: Mycotic and Parasitic Agents and Mycobacteria, Consultant laboratory for Cryptococcosis, Scedosporiosis and Imported Systemic Mycoses, Berlin, Germany.
Anne
A
Bernhardt
Robert Koch Institute, Division 16: Mycotic and Parasitic Agents and Mycobacteria, Consultant laboratory for Cryptococcosis, Scedosporiosis and Imported Systemic Mycoses, Berlin, Germany.
Michael
M
Seibold
Robert Koch Institute, Division 16: Mycotic and Parasitic Agents and Mycobacteria, Consultant laboratory for Cryptococcosis, Scedosporiosis and Imported Systemic Mycoses, Berlin, Germany.
Volker
V
Rickerts
Robert Koch Institute, Division 16: Mycotic and Parasitic Agents and Mycobacteria, Consultant laboratory for Cryptococcosis, Scedosporiosis and Imported Systemic Mycoses, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: tintelnotk@rki.de.
Kathrin
K
Tintelnot
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D009181:Mycoses / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D021681:Scedosporium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016019:Survival Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
D000935:Antifungal Agents
Cardiac surgery; Cluster; Health-care associated; Scedosporium boydii