Pneumocystis jirovecii Colonization in Preterm Newborns With Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Szydłowicz, Magdalena; Królak-Olejnik, Barbara; Vargas, Sergio L; Zajączkowska, Żaneta; Paluszyńska, Dorota; Szczygieł, Anna; Matos, Olga; Hendrich, Andrzej B et al. · J Infect Dis · 2022

case_series · Level IV

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Abstract

We describe the prevalence of Pneumocystis jirovecii in mother-infant pairs of very low birth weight newborns <32 weeks gestation. Molecular and microscopic methods were used for detection of P. jirovecii in patients' specimens. Pneumocystis DNA was detected in 8 nasopharyngeal aspirates (14%) of 56 newborns and in 7 oral washes (21%) of 34 mothers. Pneumocystis detection immediately after birth suggests the possibility of its transplacental transmission. Compared to noncolonized infants, more frequent occurrence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia was seen in colonized infants (P = .02), suggesting a potential clinical importance of this pathogen in abnormal lung development.

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