AJIC: American Journal of Infection Control
Volume 38, Issue 3 , Pages 189-194 , April 2010

Airborne Aspergillus contamination during hospital construction works: Efficacy of protective measures

Presented in part at the 19th Annual Meeting of the French Society for Hospital Hygiene, Paris, June 5–6, 2008.

  • Isabelle Fournel, MD

      Affiliations

    • Hospital Hygiene and Epidemiology Unit, Hôpital du Bocage, Dijon Cedex, France
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to Dr Isabelle Fournel, Hospital Hygiene and Epidemiology Unit, Hôpital du Bocage, BP 77908, 21079 Dijon Cedex, France.
  • ,
  • Marc Sautour, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Parasitology and Mycology Laboratory, Hôpital du Bocage, Dijon Cedex, France
  • ,
  • Ingrid Lafon, MD

      Affiliations

    • Clinical Hematology Unit, Hôpital d'Enfants, Dijon Cedex, France
  • ,
  • Nathalie Sixt, MD

      Affiliations

    • Parasitology and Mycology Laboratory, Hôpital du Bocage, Dijon Cedex, France
  • ,
  • Coralie L'Ollivier, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Parasitology and Mycology Laboratory, Hôpital du Bocage, Dijon Cedex, France
  • ,
  • Frédéric Dalle, PharmD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Parasitology and Mycology Laboratory, Hôpital du Bocage, Dijon Cedex, France
  • ,
  • Pascal Chavanet, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Interactions Mucosa—Transmissible Agents Laboratory, Faculté de Médecine, Dijon Cedex, France
  • ,
  • Gérard Couillaud, MD

      Affiliations

    • Infectious Diseases Department, Hôpital d'Enfants, Dijon Cedex, France
  • ,
  • Denis Caillot, MD

      Affiliations

    • Clinical Hematology Unit, Hôpital d'Enfants, Dijon Cedex, France
  • ,
  • Karine Astruc, MD

      Affiliations

    • Hospital Hygiene and Epidemiology Unit, Hôpital du Bocage, Dijon Cedex, France
  • ,
  • Alain Bonnin, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Parasitology and Mycology Laboratory, Hôpital du Bocage, Dijon Cedex, France
    • Paediatric Onco-haematology Unit, Hôpital d'Enfants, Dijon Cedex, France
  • ,
  • Ludwid-Serge Aho-Glélé, MD

      Affiliations

    • Hospital Hygiene and Epidemiology Unit, Hôpital du Bocage, Dijon Cedex, France

References 

  1. Manuel RJ, Kibbler CC. The epidemiology and prevention of invasive aspergillosis. J Hosp Infect. 1998;39:95–109
  2. Arnow PM, Andersen RL, Mainous PD, Smith EJ. Pulmonary aspergillosis during hospital renovation. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1978;118:49–53
  3. Sarubbi FA, Kopf HB, Wilson MB, McGinnis MR, Rutala WA. Increased recovery of Aspergillus flavus from respiratory specimens during hospital construction. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1982;125:33–38
  4. Lentino JR, Rosenkranz MA, Michaels JA, Kurup VP, Rose HD, Rytel MW. Nosocomial aspergillosis: a retrospective review of airborne disease secondary to road construction and contaminated air conditioners. Am J Epidemiol. 1982;116:430–437
  5. Opal SM, Asp AA, Cannady PB, Morse PL, Burton LJ, Hammer PG. Efficacy of infection control measures during a nosocomial outbreak of disseminated aspergillosis associated with hospital construction. J Infect Dis. 1986;153:634–637
  6. Perraud M, Piens MA, Nicoloyannis N, Girard P, Sepetjan M, Garin JP. Invasive nosocomial pulmonary aspergillosis: risk factors and hospital building works. Epidemiol Infect. 1987;99:407–412
  7. Weems JJ, Davis BJ, Tablan OC, Kaufman L, Martone WJ. Construction activity: an independent risk factor for invasive aspergillosis and zygomycosis in patients with hematologic malignancy. Infect Control. 1987;8:71–75
  8. Dewhurst AG, Cooper MJ, Khan SM, Pallett AP, Dathan JR. Invasive aspergillosis in immunosuppressed patients: potential hazard of hospital building work. BMJ. 1990;301:802–804
  9. Gerson SL, Parker P, Jacobs MR, Greger R, Lazarus HM. Aspergillosis due to carpet contamination. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 1994;15:221–223
  10. Goodley JM, Clayton YM, Hay RJ. Environmental sampling for aspergilli during building construction on a hospital site. J Hosp Infect. 1994;26:27–35
  11. Bryce EA, Walker M, Scharf S, Lim AT, Walsh A, Sharp N, et al. An outbreak of cutaneous aspergillosis in a tertiary-care hospital. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 1996;17:170–172
  12. Consensus conference: preventing the risk of Aspergillus infection in immunocompromised patients. Bull Cancer. 2001;88:589–600
  13. Cornet M, Levy V, Fleury L, Lortholary J, Barquins S, Coureul MH, et al. Efficacy of prevention by high-efficiency particulate air filtration or laminar airflow against Aspergillus airborne contamination during hospital renovation. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 1999;20:508–513
  14. Oren I, Haddad N, Finkelstein R, Rowe JM. Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in neutropenic patients during hospital construction: before and after chemoprophylaxis and institution of HEPA filters. Am J Hematol. 2001;66:257–262
  15. Gangneux JP, Bousseau A, Cornillet A, Kauffmann-Lacroix C. Maîtrise du risque fongique environnemental dans les établissements de santé. J Mycol Med. 2006;16:204–211
  16. Sixt N, Dalle F, Lafon I, Aho S, Couillault G, Valot S, et al. Reduced fungal contamination of the indoor environment with the Plasmair system (Air In Space). J Hosp Infect. 2007;65:156–162
  17. Sautour M, Sixt N, Dalle F, L'Ollivier C, Calinon C, Fourquenet V, et al. Prospective survey of indoor fungal contamination in hospital during a period of building construction. J Hosp Infect. 2007;67:367–373
  18. Bergeron V, Reboux G, Poirot JL, Laudinet N. Decreasing airborne contamination levels in high-risk hospital areas using a novel mobile air-treatment unit. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2007;28:1181–1186
  19. Andersen AA. New sampler for the collection, sizing, and enumeration of viable airborne particles. J Bacteriol. 1958;76:471–484
  20. De Hoog GS, Guarro J, Gené J, Figueras MJ. Atlas of clinical fungi. Utrecht, The Netherlands: Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures; 2000;Reus, Spain: Universitat Rovira i Virgili
  21. Panagopoulou P, Filioti J, Farmaki E, Maloukou A, Roilides E. Filamentous fungi in a tertiary care hospital: environmental surveillance and susceptibility to antifungal drugs. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2007;28:60–67
  22. Cooper EE, O'Reilly MA, Guest DI, Dharmage SC. Influence of building construction work on Aspergillus infection in a hospital setting. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2003;24:472–476
  23. Mahieu LM, De Dooy JJ, Van Laer FA, Jansens H, Ieven MM. A prospective study on factors influencing Aspergillus spore load in the air during renovation work in a neonatal intensive care unit. J Hosp Infect. 2000;45:191–197
  24. Bouza E, Peláez T, Pérez-Molina J, Marín M, Alcalá L, Padilla B, et al. Demolition of a hospital building by controlled explosion: the impact on filamentous fungal load in internal and external air. J Hosp Infect. 2002;52:234–242
  25. Subcommittee of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the National Disease Surveillance Centre. National guidelines for the prevention of nosocomial invasive aspergillosis during construction/renovation activities. Dublin, Ireland: National Disease Surveillance Centre; 2002;
  26. Sautour M, Sixt N, Dalle F, L'Ollivier C, Fourquenet V, Calinon C, et al. Profiles and seasonal distribution of airborne fungi in indoor and outdoor environments at a French hospital. Sci Total Environ. 2009;407:3766–3771
  27. Gangneux JP, Poirot JL, Morin O, Derouin F, Bretagne S, Datry A, et al. Surveillance mycologique de l'environnement pour la prévention de l'aspergillose invasive: propositions de standardisation des méthodologies et des modalités d'application. Presse Med. 2002;31:841–848

 This work was supported by Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique 2004 (PHRC Régional, Délégation de la recherche clinique de Bourgogne, Dijon, France).

 Conflicts of interest: None to report.

PII: S0196-6553(09)00835-9

doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2009.07.011

AJIC: American Journal of Infection Control
Volume 38, Issue 3 , Pages 189-194 , April 2010