Changes in age composition and epidemiology of candidaemia, Iceland, 2012 to 2023.
4 affiliations
- 1Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
- 2Department of Clinical Microbiology, Landspitali - University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland.
- 3Department of Infectious Diseases, Landspitali - University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland.
- 4Department of Science, Landspitali - University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Abstract
BACKGROUNDCandidaemia places a substantial burden on healthcare systems. Long-term, population-based studies of candidaemia rates with appropriate adjustments for changes in age composition are lacking.AIMWe aimed to determine trends in candidaemia incidence rates, species distribution, antifungal susceptibility, and concurrent antifungal use in Iceland between 2012 and 2023, as well as long-term (2000-2023) trends in age-standardised incidence rates (ASRs).METHODSWe analysed patient data with blood cultures positive for Candida species, or yeasts previously assigned to the genus Candida. We calculated ASRs, standardised to the 2023 Icelandic population, and performed susceptibility testing on all available isolates.RESULTSOverall, we identified 207 candidaemia episodes in 193 patients. The average ASR was 5.2 cases per 100,000 population. The ASR increased significantly from 2012 to 2023 (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.07; p = 0.001), mainly driven by increased rates among males (IRR = 1.10; p = 0.001). From 2000 to 2023, the ASR remained stable (average 5.8/100,000; IRR = 1.00). The ASR was higher among males, both during 2012-2023 (p = 0.014) and long-term (2000-2023, p = 0.001). Age-specific incidence rate was highest among > 80-year-old males (44.0/100,000). Candida albicans was the most frequent species (41.0%), followed by Nakaseomyces glabratus (27.2%) and Candida tropicalis (11.1%). Fluconazole susceptibility remained high (C. albicans 99%, C. tropicalis 75%, Candida parapsilosis 100%), and echinocandin resistance was rare (1.9%).CONCLUSIONDespite an apparent increase from 2012 to 2023, candidaemia incidence in Iceland has remained stable in a long-term (24-year) perspective, when appropriate adjustments are made for the ageing population. Concurrently, the epidemiology has shifted towards non-albicans Candida infections.
Related
- Increased daily walking is associated with changes in psychological well-being and small changes in body composition in adults with cardiometabolic disease
- Changes in epidemiology and antibiotic resistance patterns isolated from paediatric urinary tract infections: a multicenter study in China pre-, during and post-COVID-19
- Changes in observed bloodstream infection epidemiology during a single-set blood culture restriction: an interrupted time series analysis
- Longitudinal Changes in Stone Composition and Histopathological and Proteomic Characterization of a Matrix Stone: A Case Report
- Synergistic changes and interrelationships among chemical composition, aroma, and color during the stir-frying of Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum bungeanum maxim.)
BibTeX
@article{asmundsdottir2026changes,
title = {{Changes in age composition and epidemiology of candidaemia, Iceland, 2012 to 2023.}},
author = {Lena Ros Asmundsdottir and Johanna Gudrun Bergthorsdottir and Andri Oddur Steinarsson and Magnus Gottfredsson},
journal = {Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.2807/1560-7917.es.2026.31.40.2600120},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42852522},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Changes in age composition and epidemiology of candidaemia, Iceland, 2012 to 2023.
AU - Lena Ros Asmundsdottir
AU - Johanna Gudrun Bergthorsdottir
AU - Andri Oddur Steinarsson
AU - Magnus Gottfredsson
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin
DO - 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2026.31.40.2600120
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42852522
AB - BACKGROUNDCandidaemia places a substantial burden on healthcare systems. Long-term, population-based studies of candidaemia rates with appropriate adjustments for changes in age composition are lacking.AIMWe aimed to determine trends in candidaemia incidence rates, species distribution, antifungal susceptibility, and concurrent antifungal use in Iceland between 2012 and 2023, as well as long-term (2000-2023) trends in age-standardised incidence rates (ASRs).METHODSWe analysed patient data with blood cultures positive for Candida species, or yeasts previously assigned to the genus Candida. We calculated ASRs, standardised to the 2023 Icelandic population, and performed susceptibility testing on all available isolates.RESULTSOverall, we identified 207 candidaemia episodes in 193 patients. The average ASR was 5.2 cases per 100,000 population. The ASR increased significantly from 2012 to 2023 (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.07; p = 0.001), mainly driven by increased rates among males (IRR = 1.10; p = 0.001). From 2000 to 2023, the ASR remained stable (average 5.8/100,000; IRR = 1.00). The ASR was higher among males, both during 2012-2023 (p = 0.014) and long-term (2000-2023, p = 0.001). Age-specific incidence rate was highest among > 80-year-old males (44.0/100,000). Candida albicans was the most frequent species (41.0%), followed by Nakaseomyces glabratus (27.2%) and Candida tropicalis (11.1%). Fluconazole susceptibility remained high (C. albicans 99%, C. tropicalis 75%, Candida parapsilosis 100%), and echinocandin resistance was rare (1.9%).CONCLUSIONDespite an apparent increase from 2012 to 2023, candidaemia incidence in Iceland has remained stable in a long-term (24-year) perspective, when appropriate adjustments are made for the ageing population. Concurrently, the epidemiology has shifted towards non-albicans Candida infections.
SN - 1025-496X
SN - 1560-7917
ER -