Nosocomial Infections: Do Not Forget the Parasites!
Nosocomial infections (NIs) pose an increasing threat to public health. The majority of NIs are bacterial, fungal, and viral infections; however, parasites also play a considerable role in NIs, particularly in our increasingly complex healthcare environment with a growing proportion of immunocomprom...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Pathogens |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/2/238 |
| _version_ | 1797396010484367360 |
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| author | Ursula Fürnkranz Julia Walochnik |
| author_facet | Ursula Fürnkranz Julia Walochnik |
| author_sort | Ursula Fürnkranz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Nosocomial infections (NIs) pose an increasing threat to public health. The majority of NIs are bacterial, fungal, and viral infections; however, parasites also play a considerable role in NIs, particularly in our increasingly complex healthcare environment with a growing proportion of immunocompromised patients. Moreover, parasitic infections acquired via blood transfusion or organ transplantation are more likely to have severe or fatal disease outcomes compared with the normal route of infection. Many of these infections are preventable and most are treatable, but as the awareness for parasitic NIs is low, diagnosis and treatment are often delayed, resulting not only in higher health care costs but, importantly, also in prolonged courses of disease for the patients. For this article, we searched online databases and printed literature to give an overview of the causative agents of parasitic NIs, including the possible routes of infection and the diseases caused. Our review covers a broad spectrum of cases, ranging from widely known parasitic NIs, like blood transfusion malaria or water-borne cryptosporidiosis, to less well-known NIs, such as the transmission of <i>Strongyloides stercoralis</i> by solid organ transplantation or nosocomial myiasis. In addition, emerging NIs, such as babesiosis by blood transfusion or person-to-person transmitted scabies, are described. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:44:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cb2473a7574748d8a89f358712309784 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:44:07Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj.art-cb2473a7574748d8a89f3587123097842023-12-11T17:40:59ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172021-02-0110223810.3390/pathogens10020238Nosocomial Infections: Do Not Forget the Parasites!Ursula Fürnkranz0Julia Walochnik1Institute for Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1090 Vienna, AustriaInstitute for Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1090 Vienna, AustriaNosocomial infections (NIs) pose an increasing threat to public health. The majority of NIs are bacterial, fungal, and viral infections; however, parasites also play a considerable role in NIs, particularly in our increasingly complex healthcare environment with a growing proportion of immunocompromised patients. Moreover, parasitic infections acquired via blood transfusion or organ transplantation are more likely to have severe or fatal disease outcomes compared with the normal route of infection. Many of these infections are preventable and most are treatable, but as the awareness for parasitic NIs is low, diagnosis and treatment are often delayed, resulting not only in higher health care costs but, importantly, also in prolonged courses of disease for the patients. For this article, we searched online databases and printed literature to give an overview of the causative agents of parasitic NIs, including the possible routes of infection and the diseases caused. Our review covers a broad spectrum of cases, ranging from widely known parasitic NIs, like blood transfusion malaria or water-borne cryptosporidiosis, to less well-known NIs, such as the transmission of <i>Strongyloides stercoralis</i> by solid organ transplantation or nosocomial myiasis. In addition, emerging NIs, such as babesiosis by blood transfusion or person-to-person transmitted scabies, are described.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/2/238nosocomial infectionsparasitesimmunosuppressionblood transfusiontransplantationduring birth |
| spellingShingle | Ursula Fürnkranz Julia Walochnik Nosocomial Infections: Do Not Forget the Parasites! Pathogens nosocomial infections parasites immunosuppression blood transfusion transplantation during birth |
| title | Nosocomial Infections: Do Not Forget the Parasites! |
| title_full | Nosocomial Infections: Do Not Forget the Parasites! |
| title_fullStr | Nosocomial Infections: Do Not Forget the Parasites! |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nosocomial Infections: Do Not Forget the Parasites! |
| title_short | Nosocomial Infections: Do Not Forget the Parasites! |
| title_sort | nosocomial infections do not forget the parasites |
| topic | nosocomial infections parasites immunosuppression blood transfusion transplantation during birth |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/2/238 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ursulafurnkranz nosocomialinfectionsdonotforgettheparasites AT juliawalochnik nosocomialinfectionsdonotforgettheparasites |