Inhaled mold spores likely caused UPMC patient fungal infections, CDC says

The fungal infections that afflicted four transplant patients at Pittsburgh-based UPMC were likely caused from breathing in mold spores, meaning bed linens were likely not the source of infection, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

After a 16-day on-site investigation at UPMC Presbyterian and Montefiore hospitals, the CDC determined the fungal infections may have manifested on the skin but likely started from a "pulmonary source," according to the report.

This means that even though UPMC looked to bed linens as a possible source of the infections, and changed laundry protocols as they searched for the infection source, they likely were not the culprit.

Dust caused by nearby construction is still being considered as a source of the mold spores, according to the report.

The CDC investigation included examining patient charts, taking environmental samples in UPMC Presbyterian and Montefiore hospitals and collecting mold samples from the infected patients. The investigation is ongoing.

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