Molecular Identification of Aspergillus Species Collected for the Transplant-Associated Infection Surveillance Network

Abstract

ABSTRACT A large aggregate collection of clinical isolates of aspergilli ( n = 218) from transplant patients with proven or probable invasive aspergillosis was available from the Transplant-Associated Infection Surveillance Network, a 6-year prospective surveillance study. To determine the Aspergillus species distribution in this collection, isolates were subjected to comparative sequence analyses by use of the internal transcribed spacer and β-tubulin regions. Aspergillus fumigatus was the predominant species recovered, followed by A. flavus and A. niger . Several newly described species were identified, including A. lentulus and A. calidoustus ; both species had high in vitro MICs to multiple antifungal drugs. Aspergillus tubingensis , a member of the A. niger species complex, is described from clinical specimens; all A. tubingensis isolates had low in vitro MICs to antifungal drugs.