Kodamaea (Pichia) ohmeri fungemia in a pediatric patient admitted in a public hospital

Abstract

Kodamaea (Pichia) ohmeri is a yeast species that has not been reported to be a frequent cause of human infections. The current report describes a case of fungemia caused by K. ohmeri in a 3-year-old female patient hospitalized in the public hospital Maria Alice Fernandes, Natal, RN, Brazil. The patient had previously received antimicrobial therapy due to a peritoneal infection and nosocomial pneumonia, and had a central venous catheter implanted. Kodamaea ohmeri was isolated from blood and the tip of the catheter, 48 h after its implantation. The yeast was identified by standard microbiological methods and sequence analysis of the D1/D2 domains and the ITS 1 + 2 spacer regions of the ribosomal DNA. On CHROMagar Candida medium, the isolate showed a color change from pink to blue. The yeast was susceptible to amphotericin B, and liposomal AmB was used successfully to clear the infection.