Cluster of cases of invasive Aspergillosis in a transplant intensive care unit: Evidence of person-to-person airborne transmission

Abstract

In October 1998, a patient developed deep surgical-site and organ-space infection with Aspergillus fumigatus 11 days after undergoing liver retransplantation; subsequently, 2 additional patients in the transplant intensive care unit had invasive pulmonary infection with A. fumigatus diagnosed. It was determined that debriding and dressing wounds infected with Aspergillus species may result in aerosolization of spores and airborne person-to-person transmission.