Experimental murine cryptococcal infection results in contamination of bedding with Cryptococcus neoformans
Nosanchuk, J.D.; Mednick, A.; Shi, L.; Casadevall, A.
Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science 42(4): 9-12
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 1060-0558 PMID: 12906395 Document Number: 561874
Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen that survives in diverse environments. To determine whether cages of mice infected with C. neoformans posed an infection risk to animal caregivers, we investigated whether the fungus could be isolated from the bedding or stool of mice infected by intratracheal (i.t.), intravenous (i.v.), or intraperitoneal (i.p.) routes. The bedding of mice infected i.t. was contaminated with C. neoformans. In contrast, no contamination of bedding with C. neoformans was detected in cages of mice infected i.v. or i.p. C. neoformans was not isolated from murine faeces. The C. neoformans strain recovered from bedding material was indistinguishable from the infecting strain by biochemical and molecular techniques. This result suggests that precautions may be warranted when disposing bedding from cages that housed mice with pulmonary C. neoformans infection.