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Incorporating microbial cell-free DNA testing into healthcare-associated invasive fungal infection surveillance: benefits and challenges

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 April 2025

Daniel Z. Uslan Open the ORCID record for Daniel Z. Uslan [Opens in a new window] ,
Ishminder Kaur Open the ORCID record for Ishminder Kaur [Opens in a new window] ,
Omai B. Garner Open the ORCID record for Omai B. Garner [Opens in a new window]  and
Shangxin Yang
Daniel Z. Uslan*
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA Clinical Epidemiology & Infection Prevention, UCLA Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Ishminder Kaur
Affiliation:
Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Omai B. Garner
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Shangxin Yang
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
*
Corresponding author: Daniel Z. Uslan; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Surveillance by clinical epidemiology teams for invasive fungal infections (IFIs) in healthcare settings can be challenging due to several factors including low sensitivity of noninvasive conventional microbiologic diagnostics, nonspecific clinical presentation, and complex patient populations. Recently, availability of microbial cell-free DNA testing (cfDNA) via the Karius Test has shown promise for increased diagnostic sensitivity of IFIs. However, how to best incorporate cfDNA results into IFI surveillance remains a vexing challenge. Herein, we provide perspectives on the benefits and challenges of use of cfDNA for IFI surveillance.

Keywords

Karius testmicrobial cell-free DNAsurveillancefungal diagnostics
Type
Commentary
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , First View , pp. 1 - 4
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America

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