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Objective: The in vitro activity of isavuconazole was determined for 1677 Candida and 958 Aspergillus isolates from 2012 to 2014 with voriconazole as comparator., Methods: Aspergillus isolates were screened for resistance using azole-agar. Aspergillus isolates that screened positive and all Candida isolates underwent EUCAST broth microdilution testing. Isolates were categorized as wild-type (wt) or non-wt, adopting EUCAST epidemiological cut-off values (ECOFFs) (where available) or wt upper limits (wtULs; two two-fold dilutions above the MIC 50 ). The CYP51A gene was sequenced for non-wt Aspergillus fumigatus isolates. Itraconazole and posaconazole MICs were determined for selected Aspergillus isolates with isavuconazole MIC ≥2 mg/L., Results: Isavuconazole MIC 50 (range) (mg/L) against Candida species were: Candida albicans: ≤0.03 (≤0.03 to >4), Candida dubliniensis: ≤0.03 (≤0.03), Candida glabrata: ≤0.03 (≤0.03-4), Candida krusei: 0.06 (≤0.03-0.5), Candida parapsilosis: ≤0.03 (≤0.03-0.06), Candida tropicalis: ≤0.03 (≤0.03 to >4), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (anamorph: Candida robusta): ≤0.03 (≤0.03-0.5). Non-wt isavuconazole/voriconazole MICs were found for C. albicans: 0.8/1.0%, C. dubliniensis: 0/1.8%, C. glabrata: 14.9/9.5%, C. krusei: 2.7/1.4%, C. parapsilosis: 1.7/1.8%, C. tropicalis: 14.3/19.1% and S. cerevisiae: 10.0/0%. Isavuconazole MIC 50 (range) (mg/L) against Aspergillus species were: A. fumigatus: 1 (≤0.125 to >16), Aspergillus niger: 2 (1-8), Aspergillus terreus: 1 (0.25-8), Aspergillus flavus: 1 (0.5-2), Aspergillus nidulans: ≤0.125 (≤0.125-0.25). Non-wt isavuconazole/voriconazole MICs were found for 13.7/15.2% A. fumigatus, 4.9/0% A. niger and 48.2/22.2% A. terreus., Conclusion: Isavuconazole displayed broad in vitro activity, similar to that of voriconazole. Up to 15% of C. glabrata, C. tropicalis and A. fumigatus isolates were non-wt, reflecting increased resistance at a reference centre and technical issues. Significant CYP51A alterations were reliably detected applying the isavuconazole breakpoint., (Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus originating from the environment as well as induced during therapy are continuously emerging in Danish clinical settings. We performed a laboratory-based retrospective study (2010-2014) of azole resistance and genetic relationship of A. fumigatus at the national mycology reference laboratory of Denmark. A total of 1162 clinical and 133 environmental A. fumigatus isolates were identified by morphology, thermotolerance and/or β-tubulin sequencing. Screening for azole resistance was carried out using azole agar, and resistant isolates were susceptibility tested by the EUCAST (European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing) E.Def 9.2 reference method and CYP51A sequenced. Genotyping was performed for outbreak investigation and, when appropriate, short tandem repeat Aspergillus fumigatus microsatellite assay. All 133 environmental A. fumigatus isolates were azole susceptible. However, from 2010 to 2014, there was an increasing prevalence of azole resistance (from 1.4 to 6% isolates (p <0.001) and 1.8 to 4% patients (p <0.05)) among the clinical isolates, with the well-known environmental CYP51A variant TR34/L98H responsible for >50% of the azole resistance mechanisms. Among 184 Danish A. fumigatus isolates, 120 unique genotypes were identified and compared to a collection of 1822 international genotypes. Seven (5.8%) Danish genotypes were shared between isolates within Denmark but with different origin, 19 (15.8%) were shared with foreign genotypes, and two (11.8%) of 17 genotypes of isolates carrying the TR34/L98H resistance mechanisms were identical to two Dutch TR34/L98H isolates. Our findings underlines the demand for correct identification and susceptibility testing of clinical mould isolates. Furthermore, although complex, genotyping supported the hypotheses regarding clonal expansion and the potential of a single origin for the TR34/L98H clone., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The prevalence of intrinsic and acquired resistance among colonizing Candida isolates from patients after candidemia was investigated systematically in a 1-year nationwide study. Patients were treated at the discretion of the treating physician. Oral swabs were obtained after treatment. Species distributions and MIC data were investigated for blood and posttreatment oral isolates from patients exposed to either azoles or echinocandins for <7 or ≥ 7 days. Species identification was confirmed using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing, susceptibility was examined by EUCAST EDef 7.2 methodology, echinocandin resistance was examined by FKS sequencing, and genetic relatedness was examined by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). One hundred ninety-three episodes provided 205 blood and 220 oral isolates. MLST analysis demonstrated a genetic relationship for 90% of all paired blood and oral isolates. Patients exposed to azoles for ≥ 7 days (n = 93) had a significantly larger proportion of species intrinsically less susceptible to azoles (particularly Candida glabrata) among oral isolates than among initial blood isolates (36.6% versus 12.9%; P < 0.001). A similar shift toward species less susceptible to echinocandins among 85 patients exposed to echinocandins for ≥ 7 days was not observed (4.8% of oral isolates versus 3.2% of blood isolates; P > 0.5). Acquired resistance in Candida albicans was rare (<5%). However, acquired resistance to fluconazole (29.4%; P < 0.05) and anidulafungin (21.6%; P < 0.05) was common in C. glabrata isolates from patients exposed to either azoles or echinocandins. Our findings suggest that the colonizing mucosal microbiota may be an unrecognized reservoir of resistant Candida species, especially C. glabrata, following treatment for candidemia. The resistance rates were high, raising concern in general for patients exposed to antifungal drugs., (Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)

Azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus harboring the TR34/L98H or TR46/Y121F/T289A alterations is increasingly found in Europe and Asia. Here, we present the first clinical cases of TR46/Y121/T289A and three cases of TR34/L98H outside the cystic fibrosis (CF) population in Denmark and the results of environmental surveys. Four patients (2012 to 2014) with 11 A. fumigatus and 4 Rhizomucor pusillus isolates and 239 soil samples (spring 2010 and autumn 2013, respectively) with a total of 113 A. fumigatus isolates were examined. Aspergillus isolates were screened for azole resistance using azole-containing agar. Confirmatory susceptibility testing was done using the EUCAST microbroth dilution EDEF 9.1 reference method. For relevant A. fumigatus isolates, CYP51A sequencing and microsatellite genotyping were performed. Three patients harbored TR34/L98H isolates. Two were azole naive at the time of acquisition and two were coinfected with wild-type A. fumigatus or R. pusillus isolates, complicating and delaying diagnosis. The TR46/Y121F/T289A strain was isolated in 2014 from a lung transplant patient. Genotyping indicated that susceptible and resistant Aspergillus isolates were unrelated and that no transmission between patients occurred. Azole resistance was not detected in any of the 113 soil isolates. TR34/L98H and TR46/Y121F/T289A alterations appear to be emerging in the clinical setting in Denmark and now involve azole-naive patients. Two recent soil-sampling surveys in Denmark were unable to indicate any increased prevalence of azole-resistant A. fumigatus in the environment. These findings further support the demand for real-time susceptibility testing of all clinically relevant isolates and for studies investigating the seasonal variation and ecological niches for azole-resistant environmental A. fumigatus., (Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)