NosocomialPneumocystis jiroveciiinfections

Abstract

Summary :Airborne transmission of Pneumocystis sp. from host to host has been demonstrated in rodent models and several observations suggest that interindividual transmission occurs in humans. Moreover, it is accepted that the Pneumocystis organisms infecting each mammalian species are host specific and that the hypothesis of an animal reservoir for Pneumocystis jirovecii (P. jirovecii), the human-specific Pneumocystis species, can be excluded. An exosaprophytic form of the fungus cannot be strictly ruled out. However, these data point toward the potential for the specific host to serve as its own reservoir and for Pneumocystis infection in humans as an anthroponosis with humans as a reservoir for P. jirovecii. This review highlights the main data on host-to-host transmission of Pneumocystis in rodent models and in humans by the airborne route and provides a rationale for considering the occurrence of nosocomial infections and measures for their prevention KEY WORDS : Pneumocystis jirovecii, nosocomial infections, genotyping.

Detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii by Quantitative PCR To Differentiate Colonization and Pneumonia in Immunocompromised HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Patients

“…Another public health problem is the number of colonized patients in hospital units where other patients may be at high risk for infection or colonization. In our study, 67.6% (n ϭ 152) of patients were colonized, which can potentially lead to nosocomial infections (23,69,70).…”

Epidemiological Outbreaks of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia Are Not Limited to Kidney Transplant Recipients: Genotyping Confirms Common Source of Transmission in a Liver Transplantation Unit

“…It is responsible for a severe respiratory disease, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) (1,20). One potential route of infection is currently believed to be patient-to-patient transmission mediated by airborne droplets (1), and the hypothesis related to contamination from an environmental source has largely been rejected (9,10).…”

La transmission des infections àPneumocystis

“…Le rôle potentiel de réservoir de ces populations immunocompétentes porteuses de P. jirovecii a alors été suggéré. A fortiori, le rôle du personnel soignant dans la circulation de P. jirovecii à l'hôpital a été discuté, identifiant un impact nosocomial potentiel de l'infection par Pneumocystis [25,26]. Ainsi, d'assez nombreuses observations semblent attester d'une circulation active de P. jirovecii dans l'environnement hospitalier comme dans la communauté, où patients et porteurs pourraient constituer en même temps des réservoirs efficaces et des sources potentielles d'infection [3,25,27,28].…”