Detection and Prevalence of Penicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus in the United States in 2013.

Using blaZ PCR as the "gold standard," the sensitivities of CLSI penicillin zone edge and nitrocefin-based tests for ß-lactamase production in Staphylococcus aureus were 64.5% and 35.5%, respectively, with specificity of 99.8% for both methods. In 2013, 13.5% of 3,083 S. aureus isolates from 31 U.S. centers were penicillin susceptible.

Multicenter study of anidulafungin and micafungin MIC distributions and epidemiological cutoff values for eight Candida species and the CLSI M27-A3 broth microdilution method.

Since epidemiological cutoff values (ECVs) using CLSI MICs from multiple laboratories are not available for Candida spp. and the echinocandins, we established ECVs for anidulafungin and micafungin on the basis of wild-type (WT) MIC distributions (for organisms in a species-drug combination with no detectable acquired resistance mechanisms) for 8,210 Candida albicans, 3,102 C. glabrata, 3,976 C. parapsilosis, 2,042 C. tropicalis, 617 C. krusei, 258 C. lusitaniae, 234 C. guilliermondii, and 131 C. dubliniensis isolates. CLSI broth microdilution MIC data gathered from 15 different laboratories in Canada, Europe, Mexico, Peru, and the United States were aggregated to statistically define ECVs. ECVs encompassing 97.5% of the statistically modeled population for anidulafungin and micafungin were, respectively, 0.12 and 0.03 µg/ml for C. albicans, 0.12 and 0.03 µg/ml for C. glabrata, 8 and 4 µg/ml for C. parapsilosis, 0.12 and 0.06 µg/ml for C. tropicalis, 0.25 and 0.25 µg/ml for C. krusei, 1 and 0.5 µg/ml for C. lusitaniae, 8 and 2 µg/ml for C. guilliermondii, and 0.12 and 0.12 µg/ml for C. dubliniensis. Previously reported single and multicenter ECVs defined in the present study were quite similar or within 1 2-fold dilution of each other. For a collection of 230 WT isolates (no fks mutations) and 51 isolates with fks mutations, the species-specific ECVs for anidulafungin and micafungin correctly classified 47 (92.2%) and 51 (100%) of the fks mutants, respectively, as non-WT strains. These ECVs may aid in detecting non-WT isolates with reduced susceptibility to anidulafungin and micafungin due to fks mutations.

Multicenter evaluation of the new Vitek 2 yeast susceptibility test using new CLSI clinical breakpoints for fluconazole.

A fully automated antifungal susceptibility test system recently updated to reflect the new species-specific clinical breakpoints (CBPs) of fluconazole for Candida (Vitek 2 AF03 yeast susceptibility test; bioMérieux, Inc., Durham, NC) was compared in three different laboratories with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) reference broth microdilution (BMD) method by testing 2 quality control strains, 10 reproducibility strains (4 Candida species and 6 Cryptococcus neoformans strains), and 746 isolates of Candida species (702 isolates, 13 species) and 44 isolates of C. neoformans against fluconazole. Excellent essential agreement (EA) (within 2 dilutions) between the reference and Vitek 2 MICs was observed for fluconazole and Candida species (94.0%). The EA was lower for fluconazole and C. neoformans at 86.4%. The mean times to a result with the Vitek 2 test were 9.1 h for Candida species and 12.1 h for C. neoformans. Categorical agreement (CA) between the two methods was assessed by using the new species-specific CBPs. For less common species without fluconazole CBPs, the epidemiological cutoff values (ECVs) were used to differentiate wild-type (WT; MIC, ≤ ECV) from non-WT (MIC, >ECV) strains. The CAs between the two methods were 92.0% for Candida species (0.3% very major errors [VME] and 2.6% major errors [ME]) and 84.1% for C. neoformans (4.5% VME and 11.4% ME). The updated Vitek 2 AF03 IUO yeast susceptibility system is comparable to the CLSI BMD reference method for testing the susceptibility of clinically important yeasts to fluconazole when using the new (lower) CBPs and ECVs.

Progress in antifungal susceptibility testing of Candida spp. by use of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute broth microdilution methods, 2010 to 2012.

Antifungal susceptibility testing of Candida has been standardized and refined and now may play a useful role in managing Candida infections. Important new developments include validation of 24-h reading times for all antifungal agents and the establishment of species-specific epidemiological cutoff values (ECVs) for the systemically active antifungal agents and both common and uncommon species of Candida. The clinical breakpoints (CBPs) for fluconazole, voriconazole, and the echinocandins have been revised to provide species-specific interpretive criteria for the six most common species. The revised CBPs not only are predictive of clinical outcome but also provide a more sensitive means of identifying those strains with acquired or mutational resistance mechanisms. This brief review serves as an update on the new developments in the antifungal susceptibility testing of Candida spp. using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) broth microdilution (BMD) methods.

Wild-type MIC distributions and epidemiological cutoff values for amphotericin B, flucytosine, and itraconazole and Candida spp. as determined by CLSI broth microdilution.

Clinical breakpoints (CBPs) and epidemiological cutoff values (ECVs) have been established for several Candida spp. and the newer triazoles and echinocandins but are not yet available for older antifungal agents, such as amphotericin B, flucytosine, or itraconazole. We determined species-specific ECVs for amphotericin B (AMB), flucytosine (FC) and itraconazole (ITR) for eight Candida spp. (30,221 strains) using isolates from 16 different laboratories in Brazil, Canada, Europe, and the United States, all tested by the CLSI reference microdilution method. The calculated 24- and 48-h ECVs expressed in µg/ml (and the percentages of isolates that had MICs less than or equal to the ECV) for AMB, FC, and ITR, respectively, were 2 (99.8)/2 (99.2), 0.5 (94.2)/1 (91.4), and 0.12 (95.0)/0.12 (92.9) for C. albicans; 2 (99.6)/2 (98.7), 0.5 (98.0)/0.5 (97.5), and 2 (95.2)/4 (93.5) for C. glabrata; 2 (99.7)/2 (97.3), 0.5 (98.7)/0.5 (97.8), and 05. (99.7)/0.5 (98.5) for C. parapsilosis; 2 (99.8)/2 (99.2), 0.5 (93.0)/1 (90.5), and 0.5 (97.8)/0.5 (93.9) for C. tropicalis; 2 (99.3)/4 (100.0), 32 (99.4)/32 (99.3), and 1 (99.0)/2 (100.0) for C. krusei; 2 (100.0)/4 (100.0), 0.5 (95.3)/1 (92.9), and 0.5 (95.8)/0.5 (98.1) for C. lusitaniae; -/2 (100.0), 0.5 (98.8)/0.5 (97.7), and 0.25 (97.6)/0.25 (96.9) for C. dubliniensis; and 2 (100.0)/2 (100.0), 1 (92.7)/-, and 1 (100.0)/2 (100.0) for C. guilliermondii. In the absence of species-specific CBP values, these wild-type (WT) MIC distributions and ECVs will be useful for monitoring the emergence of reduced susceptibility to these well-established antifungal agents.

Clinical breakpoints for the echinocandins and Candida revisited: integration of molecular, clinical, and microbiological data to arrive at species-specific interpretive criteria.

The CLSI established clinical breakpoints (CBPs) for caspofungin (CSF), micafungin (MCF) and anidulafungin (ANF) versus Candida. The same CBP (susceptible (S): MIC ≤ 2 mcg/ml; non-S: MIC > 2 mcg/ml) was applied to all echinocandins and species. More data now allow reassessment of these CBPs. We examined cases of echinocandin failure where both MICs and fks mutations were assessed; wild type (WT) MICs and epidemiological cutoff values (ECVs) for a large Candida collection; molecular analysis of fks hotspots for Candida with known MICs; and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) data. We applied these findings to propose new species-specific CBPs for echinocandins and Candida. Of 18 candidiasis cases refractory to echinocandins and with fks mutations, 28% (CSF), 58% (ANF) and 66% (MCF) had MICs in the S category using CBP of ≤ 2 mcg/ml, while 0-8% would be S using CBP of ≤ 0.25 mcg/ml. WT MIC distributions revealed ECV ranges of 0.03-0.25 mcg/ml for all major species except C. parapsilosis (1-4 mcg/ml) and C. guilliermondii (4-16 mcg/ml). Among Candida tested for fks mutations, only 15.7-45.1% of 51 mutants were detected using the CBP for NS of >2 mcg/ml. In contrast, a cutoff of >0.25 mcg/ml for C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. krusei, and C. dubliniensis detected 85.6% (MCF) to 95.2% (CSF) of 21 mutant strains. Likewise, a cutoff of >0.12 mcg/ml for ANF and CSF and of >0.06 mcg/ml for MCF detected 93% (ANF) to 97% (CSF, MCF) of 30 mutant strains of C. glabrata. These data, combined with PK/PD considerations, support CBPs of ≤ 0.25 mcg/ml (S), 0.5 mcg/ml (I), ≥ 1 (R) for CSF/MCF/ANF and C. albicans, C. tropicalis and C. krusei and ≤ 2 mcg/ml (S), 4 mcg/ml (I), and ≥ 8 mcg/ml (R) for these agents and C. parapsilosis. The CBPs for ANF and CSF and C. glabrata are ≤ 0.12 mcg/ml (S), 0.25 mcg/ml (I), and ≥ 0.5 mcg/ml (R), whereas those for MCF are ≤ 0.06 mcg/ml (S), 0.12 mcg/ml (I), and ≥ 0.25 mcg/ml (R). New, species-specific CBPs for Candida and the echinocandins are more sensitive to detect emerging resistance associated with fks mutations, and better able to predict risk for clinical failure.

Validation of 24-hour posaconazole and voriconazole MIC readings versus the CLSI 48-hour broth microdilution reference method: application of epidemiological cutoff values to results from a global Candida antifungal surveillance program.

We performed 24- and 48-h MIC determinations of posaconazole and voriconazole against more than 16,000 clinical isolates of Candida species. By using the 24- and 48-h epidemiological cutoff values (ECVs), the categorical agreement between the 24-h and reference 48-h broth microdilution results ranged from 97.1% (C. parapsilosis and voriconazole) to 99.8% (C. krusei and voriconazole), with 0.0 to 2.9% very major discrepancies (VMD). The essential agreement (within 2 log(2) dilutions) between the 24- and 48-h results was 99.6% for both posaconazole and voriconazole. The MIC results obtained for both posaconazole and voriconazole after only 24 h of incubation may be used to determine the susceptibilities of Candida spp. to these important antifungal agents. The applications of ECVs to this large collection of Candida isolates suggests the potential to develop 24-h species-specific clinical breakpoints for both posaconazole and voriconazole.

Comparison of the broth microdilution (BMD) method of the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing with the 24-hour CLSI BMD method for testing susceptibility of Candida species to fluconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole by use of epidemiological cutoff values.

The antifungal broth microdilution (BMD) method of the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) was compared with CLSI BMD method M27-A3 for fluconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole susceptibility testing of 1,056 isolates of Candida. The isolates were obtained in 2009 from more than 60 centers worldwide and included 560 isolates of C. albicans, 175 of C. glabrata, 162 of C. parapsilosis, 124 of C. tropicalis, and 35 of C. krusei. The overall essential agreement (EA) between EUCAST and CLSI results ranged from 96.9% (voriconazole) to 98.6% (fluconazole). The categorical agreement (CA) between methods and species of Candida was assessed using previously determined epidemiological cutoff values (ECVs). The ECVs (expressed as µg/ml) for fluconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole, respectively, were as follows: 0.12, 0.06, and 0.03 for C. albicans; 32, 2, and 0.5 for C. glabrata; 2, 0.25, and 0.12 for C. parapsilosis; 2, 0.12, and 0.06 for C. tropicalis; 64, 0.5, and 0.5 for C. krusei. Excellent CA was observed for all comparisons between the EUCAST and CLSI results for fluconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole, respectively, for each species: 98.9%, 93.6%, and 98.6% for C. albicans; 96.0%, 98.9%, and 93.7% for C. glabrata; 90.8%, 98.1%, and 98.1% for C. parapsilosis; 99.2%, 99.2%, and 96.8% for C. tropicalis; 97.1%, 97.1%, and 97.1% for C. krusei. We demonstrate high levels of EA and CA between the CLSI and EUCAST BMD methods for testing of triazoles against Candida when the MICs were determined after 24 h and ECVs were used to differentiate wild-type (WT) from non-WT strains. These results provide additional data in favor of the harmonization of these two methods.

Wild-type MIC distributions and epidemiological cutoff values for posaconazole and voriconazole and Candida spp. as determined by 24-hour CLSI broth microdilution.

We tested 16,191 strains of Candida against posaconazole and voriconazole, using the CLSI M27-A3 broth microdilution (BMD) method (24-h incubation), in order to define wild-type (WT) populations and epidemiological cutoff values (ECVs). From 2001 to 2009, 8,619 isolates of Candida albicans, 2,415 isolates of C. glabrata, 2,278 isolates of C. parapsilosis, 1,895 isolates of C. tropicalis, 508 isolates of C. krusei, 205 isolates of C. lusitaniae, 177 isolates of C. guilliermondii, and 93 isolates of C. kefyr were obtained from over 100 centers worldwide. The modal MICs (µg/ml) for posaconazole and voriconazole, respectively, were as follows: for C. albicans, 0.016 and 0.007; for C. glabrata, 0.5 and 0.06; for C. parapsilosis, 0.06 and 0.007; for C. tropicalis, 0.03 and 0.015; for C. krusei, 0.25 and 0.12; for C. lusitaniae, 0.03 and 0.007; for C. guilliermondii, 0.12 and 0.03; and for C. kefyr, 0.06 and 0.007. The ECVs (µg/ml [% of isolates that had MICs equal to or less than the ECV]) for posaconazole and voriconazole, respectively, were as follows: 0.06 (98.5) and 0.03 (98.9) for C. albicans, 2 (96.2) and 0.5 (90.4%) for C. glabrata, 0.25 (99.3) and 0.12 (97.9) for C. parapsilosis, 0.12 (97.6) and 0.06 (97.2) for C. tropicalis, 0.5 (99.8) and 0.5 (99.4) for C. krusei, 0.12 (95.6) and 0.03 (96.6) for C. lusitaniae, 0.5 (98.9) and 0.25 (98.3) for C. guilliermondii, and 0.25 (100.0) and 0.015 (100.0) for C. kefyr. In the absence of clinical breakpoints (CBPs) for posaconazole, these WT distributions and ECVs will be useful in surveillance for emergence of reduced susceptibility to posaconazole among Candida spp. Whereas a CBP for susceptibility of ≤ 1 µg/ml has been established for voriconazole and all species of Candida, it is notable that ECVs for this agent range from 10- to >100-fold lower than the CBP, depending on the species of Candida. The CBP is inadequate in detecting the emergence of voriconazole resistance among most Candida species encountered clinically. The CBPs for voriconazole should be reassessed, with consideration for development of species-specific CBPs.

Wild-type MIC distributions, epidemiological cutoff values and species-specific clinical breakpoints for fluconazole and Candida: time for harmonization of CLSI and EUCAST broth microdilution methods.

BACKGROUND: Both the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) have MIC clinical breakpoints (CBPs) for fluconazole (FLU) and Candida. EUCAST CBPs are species-specific, and apply only to C. albicans, C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis, while CLSI CBPs apply to all species. We reassessed the CLSI CBPs for FLU and Candida in light of recent data. METHODS: We examined (1) molecular mechanisms of resistance and cross-resistance profiles, (2) wild-type (WT) MICs and epidemiological cutoff values (ECVs) for FLU and major Candida species by both CLSI and EUCAST methods, (3) determination of essential (EA) and categorical agreement (CA) between CLSI and EUCAST methods, (4) correlation of MICs with outcomes from previously published data using CLSI and EUCAST methods, and (5) pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic considerations. We applied these findings to propose new species-specific CLSI CBPs for FLU and Candida. RESULTS: WT distributions from large collections of Candida revealed similar ECVs by both CLSI and EUCAST methods (0.5-1 mcg/ml for C. albicans, 2 mcg/ml for C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis, 32 mcg/ml for C. glabrata, and 64-128 for C. krusei). Comparison of CLSI and EUCAST MICs reveal EA and CA of 95% and 96%, respectively. Datasets correlating CLSI and EUCAST FLU MICs with outcomes revealed decreased response rates when MICs were > 4 mcg/ml for C. albicans, C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis, and > 16 mcg/ml for C. glabrata. CONCLUSIONS: Adjusted CLSI CBPs for FLU and C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis (S, ≤ 2 mcg/ml; SDD, 4 mcg/ml; R, ≥ 8 mcg/ml), and C. glabrata (SDD, ≤ 32 mcg/ml; R, ≥ 64 mcg/ml) should be more sensitive for detecting emerging resistance among common Candida species and provide consistency with EUCAST CBPs.

In vivo comparison of the pharmacodynamic targets for echinocandin drugs against Candida species.

Previous pharmacodynamic studies using in vivo candidiasis models have demonstrated that the 24-h area under the concentration-time curve (AUC)/MIC is a good descriptor of the echinocandin exposure-response relationship. Further studies investigating the 24-h AUC/MIC target for a stasis endpoint identified free-drug 24-h AUC/MIC against Candida albicans and were similar for two echinocandins, anidulafungin and micafungin. The current studies expand investigation of a third echinocandin (caspofungin) and compare the pharmacodynamic target among C. albicans, Candida glabrata, and Candida parapsilosis. Treatment studies were conducted with six C. albicans, nine C. glabrata, and 15 C. parapsilosis strains with various MICs (anidulafungin, 0.015 to 4.0 microg/ml; caspofungin, 0.03 to 4.0 microg/ml; and micafungin, 0.008 to 1.0 microg/ml). Efficacy was closely tied to MIC and the 24-h AUC/MIC. Therapy against C. parapsilosis required more of each echinocandin on a mg/kg basis. Caspofungin required less drug on a mg/kg basis for efficacy against all of the organisms than did the other two drugs. However, the 24-h AUC/MIC targets were similar among the echinocandins when free drug concentrations were considered, suggesting the relevance of protein binding. The targets for C. parapsilosis (mean, 7) and C. glabrata (mean, 7) were significantly lower than those for C. albicans (mean, 20) for each echinocandin. The results suggest that current susceptibility breakpoints and the consideration of organism species in these determinations should be reexplored.

Comparison of European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) and Etest methods with the CLSI broth microdilution method for echinocandin susceptibility testing of Candida species.

The antifungal broth microdilution (BMD) method of the European Committee on Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) and the Etest agar diffusion method were compared with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) BMD method M27-A3 for anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin susceptibility testing of 133 clinical isolates of Candida species. The isolates were characterized for the presence or absence of fks1 and/or fks2 gene mutations and included 34 isolates of C. glabrata (4 mutant strains), 32 of C. albicans (1 mutant strain), 25 of C. parapsilosis, 19 of C. guilliermondii, 12 of C. tropicalis (2 mutant strains), and 11 of C. krusei. Excellent essential agreement (EA; within 2 dilutions) between the CLSI and EUCAST and CLSI and Etest MIC results was observed. The overall EA between the EUCAST and CLSI results ranged from 89.5% (caspofungin) to 99.2% (micafungin), whereas the EA between the Etest and CLSI results ranged from 90.2% (caspofungin) to 93.2% (anidulafungin). The categorical agreement (CA) between methods for each antifungal agent was assessed using previously determined epidemiological cutoff values (ECVs). Excellent CA (>90%) was observed for all comparisons between the EUCAST and CLSI results with the exceptions of C. glabrata and caspofungin (85.3%) and C. krusei and caspofungin (54.5%). The CA between the Etest and CLSI results was also excellent for all comparisons, with the exception of C. krusei and caspofungin (81.8%). All three methods were able to differentiate wild-type (WT) strains from those with fks mutations. With anidulafungin as the test reagent, the CLSI method identified 5 of 7 mutant strains, whereas the EUCAST method and the Etest identified 6 of 7 mutant strains. With either caspofungin or micafungin as the test reagent, the CLSI method identified all 7 mutant strains and the EUCAST method identified 6 of 7 mutant strains. The Etest identified all 7 mutant strains using caspofungin as the reagent. All three test methods showed a high level of agreement and of ability to distinguish fks mutant strains of Candida species from WT strains using each of the echinocandins.

Wild-type MIC distributions and epidemiological cutoff values for the echinocandins and Candida spp.

We tested a global collection of Candida sp. strains against anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin, using CLSI M27-A3 broth microdilution (BMD) methods, in order to define wild-type (WT) populations and epidemiological cutoff values (ECVs). From 2003 to 2007, 8,271 isolates of Candida spp. (4,283 C. albicans, 1,236 C. glabrata, 1,238 C. parapsilosis, 996 C. tropicalis, 270 C. krusei, 99 C. lusitaniae, 88 C. guilliermondii, and 61 C. kefyr isolates) were obtained from over 100 centers worldwide. The modal MICs (in microg/ml) for anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin, respectively, for each species were as follows: C. albicans, 0.03, 0.03, 0.015; C. glabrata, 0.06, 0.03, 0.015; C. tropicalis, 0.03, 0.03, 0.015; C. kefyr, 0.06, 0.015, 0.06; C. krusei, 0.03, 0.06, 0.06; C. lusitaniae, 0.05, 0.25, 0.12; C. parapsilosis, 2, 0.25, 1; and C. guilliermondii, 2, 0.5. 05. The ECVs, expressed in microg/ml (percentage of isolates that had MICs that were less than or equal to the ECV is shown in parentheses) for anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin, respectively, were as follows: 0.12 (99.7%), 0.12 (99.8%), and 0.03 (97.7%) for C. albicans; 0.25 (99.4%), 0.12 (98.5%), and 0.03 (98.2%) for C. glabrata; 0.12 (98.9%), 0.12 (99.4%), and 0.12 (99.1%) for C. tropicalis; 0.25(100%), 0.03 (100%), and 0.12 (100%) for C. kefyr; 0.12 (99.3%), 0.25 (96.3%), and 0.12 (97.8%) for C. krusei; 2 (100%), 0.5 (98.0%), and 0.5 (99.0%) for C. lusitaniae; 4 (100%), 1 (98.6%), and 4 (100%) for C. parapsilosis; 16 (100%), 4 (95.5%), and 4 (98.9%) for C. guilliermondii. These WT MIC distributions and ECVs will be useful in surveillance for emerging reduced echinocandin susceptibility among Candida spp. and for determining the importance of various FKS1 or other mutations.

Wild-type MIC distributions and epidemiological cutoff values for the triazoles and six Aspergillus spp. for the CLSI broth microdilution method (M38-A2 document).

Clinical breakpoints have not been established for mold testing. Wild-type (WT) MIC distributions (organisms in a species/drug combination with no detectable acquired resistance mechanisms) were defined in order to establish epidemiologic cutoff values (ECVs) for five Aspergillus spp. and itraconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole. Also, we have expanded prior ECV data for Aspergillus fumigatus. The number of available isolates varied according to the species/triazole combination as follows: 1,684 to 2,815 for A. fumigatus, 323 to 592 for A. flavus, 131 to 143 for A. nidulans, 366 to 520 for A. niger, 330 to 462 for A. terreus, and 45 to 84 for A. versicolor. CLSI broth microdilution MIC data gathered in five independent laboratories in Europe and the United States were aggregated for the analyses. ECVs expressed in microg/ml were as follows (percentages of isolates for which MICs were equal to or less than the ECV are in parentheses): A. fumigatus, itraconazole, 1 (98.8%); posaconazole, 0.5 (99.2%); voriconazole, 1 (97.7%); A. flavus, itraconazole, 1 (99.6%); posaconazole, 0.25 (95%); voriconazole, 1 (98.1%); A. nidulans, itraconazole, 1 (95%); posaconazole, 1 (97.7%); voriconazole, 2 (99.3%); A. niger, itraconazole, 2 (100%); posaconazole, 0.5 (96.9%); voriconazole, 2 (99.4%); A. terreus, itraconazole, 1 (100%); posaconazole, 0.5 (99.7%); voriconazole, 1 (99.1%); A. versicolor, itraconazole, 2 (100%); posaconazole, 1 (not applicable); voriconazole, 2 (97.5%). Although ECVs do not predict therapy outcome as clinical breakpoints do, they may aid in detection of azole resistance (non-WT MIC) due to cyp51A mutations, a resistance mechanism in some Aspergillus spp. These ECVs should be considered for inclusion in the future CLSI M38-A2 document revision.

Results from the ARTEMIS DISK Global Antifungal Surveillance Study, 1997 to 2007: a 10.5-year analysis of susceptibilities of Candida Species to fluconazole and voriconazole as determined by CLSI standardized disk diffusion.

Fluconazole in vitro susceptibility test results for 256,882 isolates of Candida spp. were collected from 142 sites in 41 countries from June 1997 to December 2007. Data were collected for 197,619 isolates tested with voriconazole from 2001 to 2007. A total of 31 different species of Candida were isolated. Increased rates of isolation of the common non-albicans species C. glabrata (10.2% to 11.7%), C. tropicalis (5.4% to 8.0%), and C. parapsilosis (4.8% to 5.6%) were noted when the time periods 1997 to 2000 and 2005 to 2007 were compared. Investigators tested clinical isolates of Candida spp. by the CLSI M44-A disk diffusion method. Overall, 90.2% of Candida isolates tested were susceptible (S) to fluconazole; however, 13 of 31 species identified exhibited decreased susceptibility (<75% S), similar to that seen with the resistant (R) species C. glabrata and C. krusei. Among 197,619 isolates of Candida spp. tested against voriconazole, 95.0% were S and 3% were R. About 30% of fluconazole-R isolates of C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, C. rugosa, C. lipolytica, C. pelliculosa, C. apicola, C. haemulonii, C. humicola, C. lambica, and C. ciferrii remained S to voriconazole. An increase in fluconazole resistance over time was seen with C. parapsilosis, C. guilliermondii, C. lusitaniae, C. sake, and C. pelliculosa. Among the emerging fluconazole-R species were C. guilliermondii (11.4% R), C. inconspicua (53.2% R), C. rugosa (41.8% R), and C. norvegensis (40.7% R). The rates of isolation of C. rugosa, C. inconspicua, and C. norvegensis increased by 5- to 10-fold over the 10.5-year study period. C. guilliermondii and C. rugosa were most prominent in Latin America, whereas C. inconspicua and C. norvegensis were most common in Eastern European countries. This survey identifies several less-common species of Candida with decreased susceptibility to azoles. These organisms may pose a future threat to optimal antifungal therapy and underscore the importance of prompt and accurate species identification and antifungal susceptibility testing.

Contamination of health-care workers' hands with Escherichia coli and Klebsiella species after routine patient care: a prospective observational study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the frequency of health-care worker (HCW) hand contamination by Escherichia coli versus Klebsiella species after patient care and to determine activities associated with contamination. METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study at two tertiary-care centres. We observed HCWs caring for patients colonized/infected with E. coli or Klebsiella. HCW hands were cultured before room entry and after patient care. Contamination was defined as detecting E. coli or Klebsiella on HCW hands. Risk factors for contamination were analysed using logistic regression. Patient-to-HCW transmission was confirmed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). RESULTS: We performed 466 HCW observations: 290 from patients with E. coli, 149 with Klebsiella, and 27 with both species. Eighty-seven per cent of observations (404/464) occurred in patients who had received chlorhexidine bathing within 2 days. HCW hand contamination rates were similar between E. coli (6.2%; 18/290) and Klebsiella (7.4%; 11/149) (p 0.6). High-risk activities independently associated with contamination were toilet assistance (OR 9.34; 95% CI 3.10-28.16), contact with moist secretions (OR 6.93; 95% CI 2.82-17.00), and hygiene/bed-bathing (OR 3.80; 95% CI 1.48-9.80). PFGE identified identical/closely related isolates in the patient and HCW hands in 100% (18/18) of E. coli and 54.5% (6/11) of Klebsiella observations. CONCLUSIONS: We did not find a difference in HCW hand contamination rates between E. coli and Klebsiella after patient care. Hand hygiene should be reinforced after high-risk activities. Discrepancies in matching patient and HCW hand isolates occurred more frequently for Klebsiella than for E. coli; differences in species-level transmission dynamics might exist.

In vitro susceptibility of clinical isolates of Aspergillus spp. to anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin: a head-to-head comparison using the CLSI M38-A2 broth microdilution method.

We determined the in vitro activities of anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin against 526 isolates of Aspergillus spp. (64 A. flavus, 391 A. fumigatus, 46 A. niger, and 25 A. terreus isolates) collected from over 60 centers worldwide from 2001 through 2007. Susceptibility testing was performed according to the CLSI M38-A2 method. All three echinocandins--anidulafungin (50% minimum effective concentration [MEC50], 0.007 microg/ml; MEC90, 0.015 microg/ml), caspofungin (MEC50, 0.015 microg/ml; MEC90, 0.03 microg/ml), and micafungin (MEC50, 0.007 microg/ml; MEC90, 0.015 microg/ml)-were very active against Aspergillus spp. More than 99% of all isolates were inhibited by < or = 0.06 microg/ml of all three agents.

In vitro activity of seven systemically active antifungal agents against a large global collection of rare Candida species as determined by CLSI broth microdilution methods.

Five Candida species (C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, and C. krusei) account for over 95% of invasive candidiasis cases. Some less common Candida species have emerged as causes of nosocomial candidiasis, but there is little information about their in vitro susceptibilities to antifungals. We determined the in vitro activities of fluconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, amphotericin B, anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin against invasive, unique patient isolates of Candida collected from 100 centers worldwide between January 2001 and December 2007. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed by the CLSI M27-A3 method. CLSI breakpoints for susceptibility were used for fluconazole, voriconazole, anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin, while a provisional susceptibility breakpoint of < or = 1 microg/ml was used for amphotericin and posaconazole. Of 14,007 Candida isolates tested, 658 (4.7%) were among the less common species. Against all 658 isolates combined, the activity of each agent, expressed as the MIC50/MIC90 ratio (and the percentage of susceptible isolates) was as follows: fluconazole, 1/4 (94.8%); voriconazole, 0.03/0.12 (98.6%); posaconazole, 0.12/0.5 (95.9%); amphotericin, 0.5/2 (88.3%); anidulafungin, 0.5/2 (97.4%); caspofungin, 0.12/0.5 (98.0%); and micafungin, 0.25/1 (99.2%). Among the isolates not susceptible to one or more of the echinocandins, most (68%) were C. guilliermondii. All isolates of the less common species within the C. parapsilosis complex (C. orthopsilosis and C. metapsilosis) were susceptible to voriconazole, posaconazole, anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin. Over 95% of clinical isolates of the rare Candida species were susceptible to the available antifungals. However, activity did vary by drug-species combination, with some species (e.g., C. rugosa and C. guilliermondii) demonstrating reduced susceptibilities to commonly used agents such as fluconazole and echinocandins.

Activity of MGCD290, a Hos2 histone deacetylase inhibitor, in combination with azole antifungals against opportunistic fungal pathogens.

We report on the in vitro activity of the Hos2 fungal histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor MGCD290 (MethylGene, Inc.) in combination with azoles against azole-resistant yeasts and molds. Susceptibility testing was performed by the CLSI M27-A3 and M38-A2 broth microdilution methods. Testing of the combinations (MGCD290 in combination with fluconazole, posaconazole, or voriconazole) was performed by the checkerboard method. The fractional inhibitory concentrations were determined and were defined as <0.5 for synergy, >or=0.5 but <4 for indifference, and >or=4 for antagonism. Ninety-one isolates were tested, as follows: 30 Candida isolates, 10 Aspergillus isolates, 15 isolates of the Zygomycetes order, 10 Cryptococcus neoformans isolates, 8 Rhodotorula isolates, 8 Fusarium isolates, 5 Trichosporon isolates, and 5 Scedosporium isolates. MGCD290 showed modest activity when it was used alone (MICs, 1 to 8 microg/ml) and was mostly active against azole-resistant yeasts, but the MICs against molds were high (16 to >32 microg/ml). MGCD290 was synergistic with fluconazole against 55 (60%) of the 91 isolates, with posaconazole against 46 (51%) of the 91 isolates, and with voriconazole against 48 (53%) of the 91 isolates. Synergy between fluconazole and MGCD290 was observed against 26/30 (87%) Candida isolates. All 23 of the 91 Candida isolates that were not fluconazole susceptible demonstrated a reduced fluconazole MIC that crossed an interpretive breakpoint (e.g., resistant [MIC, >or=64 microg/ml] to susceptible [MIC,

Variation in susceptibility of bloodstream isolates of Candida glabrata to fluconazole according to patient age and geographic location in the United States in 2001 to 2007.

We examined the susceptibilities to fluconazole of 642 bloodstream infection (BSI) isolates of Candida glabrata and grouped the isolates by patient age and geographic location within the United States. Susceptibility of C. glabrata to fluconazole was lowest in the northeast region (46%) and was highest in the west (76%). The frequencies of isolation and of fluconazole resistance among C. glabrata BSI isolates were higher in the present study (years 2001 to 2007) than in a previous study conducted from 1992 to 2001. Whereas the frequency of C. glabrata increased with patient age, the rate of fluconazole resistance declined. The oldest age group (> or = 80 years) had the highest proportion of BSI isolates that were C. glabrata (32%) and the lowest rate of fluconazole resistance (5%).