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Molecular Epidemiology of Invasive Aspergillosis: Lessons Learned from an Outbreak Investigation in an Australian Hematology Unit

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Sarah E. Kidd
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Infectious Diseases Unit, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia MacFarlane Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Li Min Ling
Affiliation:
Infectious Diseases Unit, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Infectious Diseases Unit, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Infectious Diseases Department, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore
Wieland Meyer
Affiliation:
Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Department of Medicine, University of Sydney Western Clinical School, Westmead Millennium Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
C. Orla Morrissey
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Infectious Diseases Unit, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia MacFarlane Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Sharon C. A. Chen
Affiliation:
Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Department of Medicine, University of Sydney Western Clinical School, Westmead Millennium Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Monica A. Slavin*
Affiliation:
Infectious Diseases Unit, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Infectious Diseases Unit, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Centre for Clinical Research Excellence in Infectious Diseases, Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
*
Locked Bag 1, A'Beckett Street, Melbourne, VIC, 8006, Australia (monica.slavin@petermac.org)

Abstract

Suspected nosocomial Aspergillus fumigatus infections in an Australian hematology unit were investigated by molecular typing of clinical and environmental isolates using polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting, CSP typing, and multilocus microsatellite typing. Only multilocus microsatellite typing revealed that all isolates were genetically distinct. The selection of an appropriate typing method is essential for effective outbreak investigations.

Type
Concise Communications
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2009

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