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Electrophoretic karyotyping ofCandida albicans strains isolated from premature infants and hospital personnel in a neonatal intensive care unit

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Abstract

Electrophoretic karyotyping was used to compare DNA probes of yeasts isolated from blood of preterm neonates (n=66) in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and from the hands of healthy hospital personnel (n=10). The yeasts were identified asCandida albicans using standard laboratory methods. DNA was extracted from yeasts and isolation of identical DNA strains from the pairs nurse-neonate suggested that one nurse transmitted one yeast strain by her hands to three neonates. Four neonates harbored two identical strains originating from two nurses,i.e. each nurse transmitted the same strain to two neonates. In the additional 7 cases transmission of 1 yeast strain by 1 nurse, to 1 neonate was observed. Our data suggest that nonperinatal nosocomial transmission ofC. albicans occurs in neonates. possiblyvia cross-contamination being transferred on hands of health care workers The importance of careful hand washing of staff (health care workers) and other infectioncontrol procedures (to prevent the nosocomial transmission of pathogens in the NICU environment) is emphasizeded.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology Faculty of Medicine, Šafárik University, 040 66, Košice, Slovakia

    E. Dorko

  2. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Šaca, 040 15, Košice, Slovakia

    S. Virágová

  3. Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Šafárik University, 040 66, Košice, Slovakia

    J. Jautová

  4. Department of Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 041 81, Košice, Slovakia

    E. Pilipčinec & L’. Tkáčiková

  5. Department of Anatomy, University of Veterinary Medicine, 041 81, Košice, Slovakia

    J. Danko

  6. Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 041 81, Košice, Slovakia

    E. Švicky

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  1. E. Dorko
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  2. S. Virágová
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  3. J. Jautová
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  4. E. Pilipčinec
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  5. J. Danko
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  6. E. Švicky
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  7. L’. Tkáčiková
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Dorko, E., Virágová, S., Jautová, J. et al. Electrophoretic karyotyping ofCandida albicans strains isolated from premature infants and hospital personnel in a neonatal intensive care unit. Folia Microbiol 46, 453–457 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02814438

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02814438

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