Abstract
Candida spp. is one of the main pathogens associated with nosocomial infection in Brazil and worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution of Candida yeasts in the ICU and their susceptibility to the antifungal agents terbinafine and fluconazole. The samples were collected by swabbing nine surfaces in the ICU of a hospital located in Pelotas, RS. These isolates were genetically characterized by sequencing the internal transcript spacer (ITS) using the primers ITS1 and ITS4. The test against antifungals was performed by Microdilution in Broth (CLSI-M27-A4). 64 yeasts identified as Candida parapsilosis (45.31%; n = 29), Meyerozyma (Pichia) guilliermondii (28.12%; n = 18), Claviceps lusitaneae (25%; n = 16) and Candida tropicalis (1, 56%; n = 1) mostly at the counter used for handling medicines and food distribution (68.75%; n = 44). Susceptibility to antifungals varied between species. These results describe potentially pathogenic Candida species as contaminants in the ICU environment. The study environment is a potential source of exogenous infection for hospitalized patients.
Highlights
The hospital environment is configured as an exogenous source of infection when selecting resistant infectious agents together with vulnerable individuals (Nogueira et al 2009)
This study aimed to verify the presence of Candida spp. on surfaces in a hospital environment, to identify possible sources of exogenous contamination, as well as their susceptibility to the antifungals used in the clinical routine
The swab was kept in a sterile tube containing peptone water and immediately forwarded to the Microbiology and Bioprospecting Laboratory of the Institute of Biology (UFPel), where dextrose agar plus chloramphenicol were sown on 37°C for 48h
Summary
The hospital environment is configured as an exogenous source of infection when selecting resistant infectious agents together with vulnerable individuals (Nogueira et al 2009). Microorganisms present in this environment are capable of influencing the microbiota of healthy individuals, as well as promoting their replacement by more virulent species through cross-transmission (Bonassoli & Svidzinski 2002). The cross-transmission of Candida spp. was verified, and the same multilocus genotype was shared by isolates recovered from the hand of a health professional, from the hospital environment and from patients at the same institution, suggesting these sources as possible routes of transmission and that infections by C. parapsilosis may be mainly related exogenous transmission to the patient (Sabino et al 2015).
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