       Document 0419
 DOCN  M9610419
 TI    Epidemiology of candidiasis.
 DT    9601
 AU    Pfaller MA; Department of Pathology, University of Iowa College of
       Medicine,; Iowa City 52242, USA.
 SO    J Hosp Infect. 1995 Jun;30 Suppl:329-38. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96035362
 AB    The increase in infections due to Candida over the past decade is
       significant. This is particularly true for hospitalized patients where
       the rate of blood-stream infection due to Candida spp. has increased by
       almost 500% over the decade of the 1980s. This increase is accompanied
       by a significant excess mortality and a prolonged length of stay in the
       hospital. This trend continues into the 1990s where in the US Candida
       spp. remains the fourth most common blood-stream pathogen, accounting
       for 8% of all hospital-acquired blood-stream infections. Notably, more
       than one-third of candidal blood-stream infections are caused by species
       other than C. albicans. The majority of these infections arise from an
       endogenous focus of colonization; however, the documentation of
       nosocomial transmission or 'cross-infection' and the recognition of
       resistance to antifungal agents pose new and significant problems.
       Recent studies indicate that Candida may be isolated from the hands of
       15-54% of health care workers in the intensive care unit setting and
       that the strain of Candida carried on the hands may be shared by
       infected patients. These studies are facilitated by molecular typing and
       careful epidemiological investigation and suggest that cross-infection
       is an important and preventable feature of candidal blood-stream
       infection. Both endogenous and exogenous sources of infection are now
       well-documented and such information should help direct measures to
       prevent infections in high risk individuals.
 DE    AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Candida
       albicans/DRUG EFFECTS
       Candidiasis/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/MICROBIOLOGY/TRANSMISSION  Cross
       Infection/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Disease Reservoirs  Disease Transmission,
       Professional-to-Patient  Drug Resistance, Microbial  Hand/MICROBIOLOGY
       Human  Personnel, Hospital  JOURNAL ARTICLE  REVIEW  REVIEW, TUTORIAL

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

