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Pneumocystis exhalation by infants developing Pneumocystis primary infection: putative infectious sources in

L Pougnet1, C V Hoffmann2, R Pougnet3

  • 1Groupe d'Étude des Interactions Hôte-Pathogène (GEIHP), Angers-Brest, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France; Hôpital d'Instruction des Armées Clermont-Tonnerre, CC41, 29240 Brest Cedex 9, France.

The Journal of Hospital Infection
|April 24, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Infants with Pneumocystis primary infection can exhale Pneumocystis jirovecii DNA. This study demonstrates infants may act as infectious sources in hospitals and communities, highlighting airborne transmission risks.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Pneumocystis primary infections in infants are a concern.
  • The transmission routes of Pneumocystis jirovecii (P. jirovecii) are not fully understood.
  • Infant shedding of P. jirovecii has been hypothesized but not directly demonstrated in air.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential for airborne shedding of P. jirovecii by infants with primary infection.
  • To determine if P. jirovecii DNA can be detected in the air surrounding infected infants.
  • To explore the possibility of infant-to-environment transmission of P. jirovecii.

Main Methods:

  • Collected air samples at 1-meter distance from 14 infants with Pneumocystis primary infection.
  • Utilized polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for P. jirovecii DNA detection.
  • Performed P. jirovecii genotype identification on positive air and nasopharyngeal samples.

Main Results:

  • P. jirovecii DNA was detected in air samples from 3 out of 14 infected infants.
  • Successful P. jirovecii genotype matching between nasopharyngeal and air samples was achieved in one case.
  • Results suggest P. jirovecii is exhaled by infected infants, indicating airborne shedding.

Conclusions:

  • Infants with primary Pneumocystis infection can serve as sources of airborne P. jirovecii.
  • This study provides proof of concept for infant-mediated airborne transmission of P. jirovecii.
  • Findings have implications for understanding transmission dynamics in healthcare settings and communities.
Keywords:
Airborne transmissionExhalationPaediatricsPneumocystis jiroveciiPrimary infection

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