Genotyping and Antifungal Susceptibility of Dipodascus capitatus Isolated in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a Sicilian Hospital

Abstract

In August 2015, Dipodascus capitatus was isolated from two patients admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Nosocomial acquisition of the fungus was suspected and epidemiological studies were undertaken. The patients were simultaneously hospitalized, and the comparison of the two isolates by two independent molecular typing methods have confirmed clonal dissemination of a single strain of D. capitatus. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was useful for identifying the appropriated antifungal therapy in micafungin. To our knowledge these are the first described cases of neonatal D. capitatus infection and also the first report of successful treatment by micafungin.

Blastoschizomyces capitatuspulmonary infections in immunocompetent patients: case report, case series and literature review

“…Their clinical presentation is similar to that of the more common fungal infections. Over 90% of all Blastoschizomyces cases in immunocompromised patients have been reported from Europe, with significant numbers from Italy, Spain or France [14, 18]. A large survey of almost 3000 cases of fungaemia in a tertiary cancer centre in Houston, USA, found that 3·1% were secondary infections due to non- Candida spp.…”

Dipodascus capitatus: A rare and emerging yeast like fungal infection in immuno-compromised subjects

“…S. capitata is a rare fungal pathogen, often reported in many malignancy cases. 26 Faciana et.al., 27 isolated from the neonatal intensive care unit patients from 28 week gestation and deficient birth weight patients and A male term neonate with a prenatal diagnosis of left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia successful treatment done by micafungin. Hazar et.al., 24 isolated Geotricum capitatum from an 82-year-old patient who had undergone a kidney transplant recipient from the deep tracheal aspirate, the laparotomy wound, bile, and urine.…”