CRYPTOCOCCUS-NEOFORMANS ISOLATED FROM HUMAN DWELLINGS IN RIO-DE-JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AN ANALYSIS OF THE DOMESTIC ENVIRONMENT OF AIDS PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT CRYPTOCOCCOSIS
Lfc. Passoni et al., CRYPTOCOCCUS-NEOFORMANS ISOLATED FROM HUMAN DWELLINGS IN RIO-DE-JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AN ANALYSIS OF THE DOMESTIC ENVIRONMENT OF AIDS PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT CRYPTOCOCCOSIS, MEDICAL MYCOLOGY, 36(5), 1998, pp. 305-311
One hundred and fifty-four human dwellings in the metropolitan area of
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil were studied. A total of 824 samples of indoor
dust, outdoor soil and avian droppings were collected. Cryptococcus n
eoformans var. neoformans was isolated from 20 (13%) dwellings, compri
sing five (15.6%) of 32 dwellings of patients with AIDS-associated cry
ptococcosis; four (8.9%) of 45 dwellings of patients with AIDS but wit
hout cryptococcosis; and 11 (14.3%) of 77 dwellings of apparently heal
thy individuals (P>0.05). The principal factor associated with domicil
iar contamination by C. neoformans var. neoformans was the presence of
avians in the domestic environment or nearby the home. Cryptococcosis
was more frequent among AIDS patients residing in dwellings from whic
h C. neoformans var, neoformans was isolated than among AIDS patients
from whose domestic environment the fungus was not demonstrated by the
methods used (odds ratio (OR) = 2.05). These findings suggest that th
e distribution of C. neoformans var. neoformans in Rio de Janeiro is n
ot restricted to the classically known biotopes as well as reinforce t
he possibility of exogenous infection in opportunistic cryptococcosis,
including exogenous infection acquired in the domestic environment.