Epidemiological and Molecular Investigation of the Heater-Cooler Unit (HCU)-Related Outbreak of Invasive Mycobacterium chimaera Infection Occurred in Italy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

From 2013 onwards, a large outbreak of Mycobacterium chimaera (MC) invasive infection, which was correlated with the use of contaminated heater-cooler units (HCUs) during open chest surgery, was reported from all over the world. Here, we report the results of the epidemiological and molecular investigations conducted in Italy after the alarm raised about this epidemic event.

Methods

MC strains isolated from patients or from HCU devices were characterized by genomic sequencing and molecular epidemiological analysis.

Results

Through retrospective epidemiological analysis conducted between January 2010 and December 2022, 40 possible cases of patients infected with MC were identified. Thirty-six strains isolated from these patients were analysed by whole

SUBMITTER: Cannas A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10536513 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature