Clinical implications of azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus, The Netherlands, 2007-2009

Emerg Infect Dis. 2011 Oct;17(10):1846-54. doi: 10.3201/eid1710.110226.

Abstract

The prevalence and spread of azole resistance in clinical Aspergillus fumigatus isolates in the Netherlands are currently unknown. Therefore, we performed a prospective nationwide multicenter surveillance study to determine the effects of resistance on patient management strategies and public health. From June 2007 through January 2009, all clinical Aspergillus spp. isolates were screened for itraconazole resistance. In total, 2,062 isolates from 1,385 patients were screened; the prevalence of itraconazole resistance in A. fumigatus in our patient cohort was 5.3% (range 0.8%-9.5%). Patients with a hematologic or oncologic disease were more likely to harbor an azole-resistant isolate than were other patient groups (p<0.05). Most patients (64.0%) from whom a resistant isolate was identified were azole naive, and the case-fatality rate of patients with azole-resistant invasive aspergillosis was 88.0%. Our study found that multiazole resistance in A. fumigatus is widespread in the Netherlands and is associated with a high death rate for patients with invasive aspergillosis.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antifungal Agents / therapeutic use
  • Aspergillosis / drug therapy
  • Aspergillosis / epidemiology*
  • Aspergillosis / microbiology*
  • Aspergillus fumigatus / drug effects*
  • Aspergillus fumigatus / genetics
  • Aspergillus fumigatus / isolation & purification
  • Azoles / pharmacology*
  • Azoles / therapeutic use
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Drug Resistance, Fungal / genetics
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Middle Aged
  • Netherlands / epidemiology
  • Prevalence
  • Prospective Studies
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Azoles