Hospitalized Patient as Source of Aspergillus fumigatus, 2015

Area of Science:

• Medical Mycology
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Hospital Infection Control

Background:

• Hospital-acquired aspergillosis is a significant concern, often linked to environmental fungal contamination.
• Standard infection control measures primarily focus on environmental sources of Aspergillus species.

Observation:

• In 2015, continuous monitoring of airborne fungi was implemented in a healthcare setting.
• Multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) was employed for molecular typing of Aspergillus isolates.

Findings:

• The source of Aspergillus fumigatus was traced to the airway of a colonized patient.
• This finding challenges the assumption that environmental contamination is the sole origin of hospital-acquired aspergillosis.

Implications:

• Patients colonized with Aspergillus species require specific management strategies to prevent transmission.
• Implementation of airborne infection isolation rooms for Aspergillus-colonized patients is recommended to enhance patient safety.