VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL TRANSMISSION OF UNIQUE CANDIDA SPECIES TO PREMATURE NEWBORNS

The number of nosocomial bloodstream infections due to Candida species in critically ill newborns is increasing, This pathogen may be vertic ally transmitted from the mother or nosocomially acquired in the nurse ry. The goal of this study was to identify the route of transmission o f unique Candida species and strains from mothers to their preterm off spring, Specimens from mothers for fungal cultures were obtained befor e delivery, and specimens from infants for sequential fungal cultures were obtained at defined intervals. Candida species were identified by standard methods and were typed by electrophoretic karyotyping (EK) a nd restriction endonuclease analysis of genomic DNA (REAG) with pulsed -field gel electrophoresis. Antifungal susceptibility testing was perf ormed on all isolates. Fungal cultures were positive for Candida speci es in 12 (63%) of 19 mothers' specimens and in seven (33%) of 21 infan ts' specimens, ER and REAG revealed that both the mother and the infan t in three (14%) of 21 mother-infant pairs were colonized with the ide ntical strain of Candida albicans. C. albicans was most commonly trans mitted vertically, Candida parapsilosis colonized other infants and co uld not be accounted for by a maternal reservoir.