[The epidemiology of blastomyces infections with special reference to postoperative intensive care wards (author's transl)].

230 strains of Blastomyces were isolated during a nine month's period in the course of routine laboratory examinations of faecal and other specimens. Candida albicans was the most frequently present (151), followed by Candida tropicalis (39) and Torulopsis glabrata (16). During an environmental study in a postoperative intensive care unit 426 swabs were taken. 88 strains of Blastomyces were cultured from 75 swabs. The observations indicate that Candida albicans as a free-living organism lacks favourable conditions for multiplication in sick rooms and wards, and that it does not play the same role in cross-infection as does, e.g., Psudeomonas aeruginosa or strains of Klebsiella. The same apparently also applies to Candida tropicalis and Torulopsis. Measures to prevent infection with yeast-like fungi in hospitals are reviewed.