NO EVIDENCE OF NOSOCOMIAL PNEUMOCYSTIS-CARINII INFECTION VIA HEALTH-CARE PERSONNEL

Clusters of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in immunocompromised settings suggest person-to-person transmission. We examined a whether personnel in a ward for HIV-infected patients were carriers of P. cari nii. None of 29 sputum samples from 19 personnel caring for HIV-infect ed patients had detectable amounts of P. carinii DNA, as determined by the two PCR methods used. Two of 26 personnel were found, by an immun ofluorescence assay, to have serum antibodies for P. carinii. The resu lts do not support the hypothesis that personnel represent major vecto rs or transient reservoirs for spreading P. carinii infection to immun ocompromised hosts.