Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis complicating non-influenza respiratory viral infections in solid organ transplant recipients

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is increasingly recognized as a complication of severe influenza and coronavirus disease-2019. The extent to which other respiratory viral infections (RVIs) predispose to IPA is unclear. We performed a retrospective review of IPA occurring within 90-days of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), parainfluenza or adenovirus infections (non-influenza respiratory viral infections; NI-RVI) in patients who underwent solid organ transplant between 1/15/2011 and 12/19/2017. At median post-transplant follow-up of 43.4 months, 221 of 2986 patients (7.4%) developed 255 RSV, parainfluenza or adenovirus infections. IPA complicating these NI-RVIs was exclusively observed in lung and small bowel transplant recipients, in whom incidence was 5% and 33%, respectively. Cumulative prednisone doses >140 mg within 7 days and pneumonia at time of NI-RVI were independent risk factors for IPA (odds ratios: 22.6 (4.5-112) and 7.2 (1.6-31.7), respectively). Mortality at 180-days following NI-RVI was 27% and 7% among patients with and without IPA, respectively (p=0.04). In conclusion, IPA can complicate RSV, parainfluenza and adenovirus infection in lung and small bowel transplant recipients. Future research is needed on the epidemiology of IPA complicating various RVIs. In the interim, physicians should be aware of this complication.