Seventeen Patients in Ten Hospitals Had Cutaneous Infections Caused by Rhizopus

Seventeen patients in ten hospitals had cutaneous infections caused by Rhizopus. In all seventeen patients, Elastoplast bandages were placed over sterile gauze pads to cover wounds. Fourteen of the patients had surgical wounds, two had venous line insertion sites, and one had a bite wound. Lesions present when the bandages were removed ranged from vesiculopustular eruptions to ulcerations and skin necrosis requiring debridement. Fungi are more likely than bacteria to contaminate bandages because they

A) cannot tolerate high osmotic pressure.
B) prefer a neutral environment (pH 7) .
C) are aerobic.
D) have a fermentative metabolism.
E) can tolerate low-moisture conditions.