# Scheffersomyces spartinae Fungemia among Pediatric Patients, Pakistan, 2020–2024

## TL;DR

A study in Pakistan found that Scheffersomyces spartinae is causing fungal infections in young children, especially infants, and highlights the need for better diagnostic methods.

## Contribution

The study identifies S. spartinae as an emerging fungal pathogen in neonates and young infants in Pakistan.

## Key findings

- 108 cases of S. spartinae infection were identified in children under 12 years old, with over 69% in infants under one month.
- Genetic diversity was low among isolates from Karachi and nearby areas, with minimal nucleotide differences.
- Phenotypic methods misidentified the fungus as Clavispora lusitaniae, emphasizing the need for molecular identification techniques.

## Abstract

Prevalence of emerging fungal infections is increasing, particularly among immunocompromised persons, children, and older persons. We report 108 cases of Scheffersomyces spartinae infection in pediatric patients from Karachi and other cities in Pakistan, of which 107 were identified from blood cultures. Cultures were initially misidentified as Clavispora lusitaniae by a biochemical assay before speciation as S. spartinae by whole-genome sequencing. All isolates were from children <12 years of age, and >69% were from children <1 month of age. Isolates were genetically distinct across regions of Pakistan; however, genetic diversity was low in isolates from patients in Karachi and nearby Nawabshah and had median differences of just 9 pairwise nucleotide variants. This study demonstrates S. spartinae is a potentially emerging pathogen in neonates and young infants in Pakistan. The findings highlight the limitations of phenotypic identification for detecting emerging fungal infections and underscore the value of molecular identification approaches.