Possibility of in-hospital infection by Cryptococcus neoformans in patients with AIDS Posibilidad de infección intra - hospitalaria por Cryptococcus neoformans en pacientes con SIDA

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Main Authors: Maria Elena Rustan, Héctor R. Rubinstein, Carmela Siciliano, Diana T. Masih
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 1992
• Subjects: Cryptococcus neoformans; AIDS; Meningitis; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Alta; Arctic; Hongo; Sida
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0036-46651992000500002; https://doaj.org/article/23eaf672bf2a437dabf93094306aa620

The objective of the present work was to carry out a survey of soil samples taken from different areas of a hospital of infectious disease located in the city of Cordoba, where three AIDS patients were hospitalized during different periods in the same ward. The three of them returned with meningeal cryptococcosis between three or five months after having been discharged. Cryptococcus neoformans was isolated in 8/10 samples collected outside the hospital, near the pigeon house. The samples collected from the AIDS patients ward and its surroundings were negative. These findings suggest that the patients may have been infected by the fungus during their first stay in hospital. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue realizar un relevamiento de muestras de suelo en distintas áreas de un hospital de enfermedades infecciosas de la Ciudad de Córdoba, donde estuvieron internados tres pacientes con síndrome de inmuno deficiencia adquirida (SIDA). Ocuparon en distintos períodos de internación la misma sala. Los tres reingresaron al nosocomio entre los tres y cinco meses siguientes de haber sido dados de alta, con meningitis criptococcica. Cryptococcus neoformans se pudo aislar en 8/10 muestras recogidas en la zona exterior del hospital próxima al palomar. Las muestras tornadas en el interior de la sala destinada a la internación de pacientes con SIDA y de sus alrededores resultaron negativas. Estos hallazgos sugieren que probablemente los pacientes se infectaron con el hongo durante su primeira internación.