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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, December 2003, p. 5525-5529, Vol. 41, No. 12
0095-1137/03/$08.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JCM.41.12.5525-5529.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Epidemiology of Aspergillus terreus at a University Hospital
John W. Baddley,1* Peter G. Pappas,1 Anita C. Smith,2 and Stephen A. Moser2
Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases,1
Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama2
Received 14 May 2003/
Returned for modification 7 July 2003/
Accepted 20 September 2003
Invasive fungal infections due to Aspergillus species have become a major cause of morbidity and mortality among immunocompromised patients. Aspergillus terreus, a less common pathogen, appears to be an emerging cause of infection at our institution, the University of Alabama hospital in Birmingham. We therefore investigated the epidemiology of A. terreus over the past 6 years by using culture data; antifungal susceptibility testing with amphotericin B, voriconazole, and itraconazole; and molecular typing with random amplification of polymorphic DNA-PCR (RAPD-PCR). During the study period, the percentage of A. terreus isolates relative to those of other Aspergillus species significantly increased, and A. terreus isolates frequently were resistant to amphotericin B. Molecular typing with the RAPD technique was useful in discriminating between patient isolates, which showed much strain diversity. Further surveillance of A. terreus may better define epidemiology and determine whether this organism is becoming more frequent in relation to other Aspergillus species.
* Corresponding author. Mailing address: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, 1900 University Blvd., 229 Tinsley Harrison Tower, Birmingham, AL 35294-0006. Phone: (205) 934-5191. Fax: (205) 934-5155. E-mail: jbaddley{at}uab.edu.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, December 2003, p. 5525-5529, Vol. 41, No. 12
0095-1137/03/$08.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JCM.41.12.5525-5529.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
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Copyright © 2003 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.