Fuente: Microorganisms - Revista científica (MDPI) Microorganisms, Vol. 13, Pages 2698: When Conventional Methods Fail: First Detection of a Candida viswanathii Outbreak in Europe in a Pediatric Hospital Revealed by Whole Genome Sequencing and FT-IR Spectroscopy
Microorganisms doi: 10.3390/microorganisms13122698
Authors:
Gianluca Vrenna
Valeria Fox
Venere Cortazzo
Serena Raimondi
Marco Cristiano
Gianluca Foglietta
Sara Carilli
Martina Rossitto
Barbara Lucignano
Manuela Onori
Maria Paola Ronchetti
Andrea Dotta
Andrea Campana
Lorenzo Galletti
Luca Di Chiara
Alberto Villani
Marta Luisa Ciofi Degli Atti
Daniela Perrotta
Corrado Cecchetti
Massimiliano Raponi
Carlo Federico Perno
Paola Bernaschi

Candida viswanathii has been sporadically reported in Asia and South America but not in Europe. This study reports the first European outbreak of C. viswanathii in a paediatric hospital, outlining diagnostic challenges and containment measures. Fifteen C. viswanathii isolates were recovered from blood cultures of consecutive pediatric patients admitted to intensive care units between April and August 2025. Identification was performed using MALDI-TOF MS, chromogenic media, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed by broth microdilution. All isolates were initially misidentified as C. tropicalis by MALDI-TOF MS and undetected by the FilmArray BCID2 panel. WGS confirmed C. viswanathii, and FT-IR analysis revealed clonally related strains, indicating an outbreak. Colonies displayed a distinct deep-blue color on chromogenic CHROMagar™ medium. Elevated fluconazole minimum inhibitory concentrations were observed, while isolates remained susceptible to echinocandins and amphotericin B. A multidisciplinary infection-control response halted transmission within four weeks. This investigation documents the first C. viswanathii outbreak in Europe, highlighting diagnostic limitations of current commercial tools and the need for updated databases. Integration of FT-IR spectroscopy and WGS facilitated outbreak detection and containment, underscoring the importance of advanced diagnostics and surveillance for emerging fungal pathogens.