ABSTRACT Because less than one-third of clinically relevant fusaria can be accurately identified to species level using phenotypic data (i.e., morphological recognition), we constructed a three-locus DNA sequence database facilitate molecular identification the 69 Fusarium associated with human or animal mycoses encountered in clinical microbiology laboratories. The comprises partial sequences from three nuclear genes: translation elongation factor 1α ( EF-1α ), largest subunit RNA...

Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a frequent complication of blood or marrow transplantation. Previous studies have reported that the Aspergillus galactomannan enzyme immunoassay (GM EIA) may be useful diagnostic tool for IA, but its sensitivity variable. We examined performance GM EIA in 986 serum samples from 67 patients. Results demonstrated decreasing index cutoff positivity to 0.5 increased sensitivity, with minimal loss specificity. The low duration test before diagnosis by clinical...

Infection with voriconazole-resistant fungi may become problematic, because organisms decreased susceptibility have been noted. Breakthrough fungal infections occurred in 13 of 139 patients who received voriconazole at our center during the period September 1998 through 2003. Zygomycetes were found 6 patients, and Candida glabrata bloodstream infection 4 patients. Minimal inhibitory concentrations ⩾1 µg/mL for all available isolates. Yeasts molds to cause invasive treated successfully aspergillosis.

ABSTRACT In a prior study, we identified seven clinical isolates of an Aspergillus sp. that were slow to sporulate in multiple media and demonstrated decreased vitro susceptibilities antifungals, including amphotericin B, itraconazole, voriconazole, caspofungin. These initially considered be variants fumigatus because differences mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences unique randomly amplified polymorphic DNA PCR patterns (S. A. Balajee, M. Weaver, Imhof, J. Gribskov, K. Marr, Antimicrob....

A large aggregate collection of clinical isolates aspergilli (n = 218) from transplant patients with proven or probable invasive aspergillosis was available the Transplant-Associated Infection Surveillance Network, a 6-year prospective surveillance study. To determine Aspergillus species distribution in this collection, were subjected to comparative sequence analyses by use internal transcribed spacer and beta-tubulin regions. fumigatus predominant recovered, followed A. flavus niger....

We surveyed 497 isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus collected from 2008 to 2009 as part the ARTEMIS global surveillance study for elevated MIC values itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole. Sequencing cyp51A gene revealed that 8/29 with one or more triazoles, all originating in China, contained TR/L98H mutation associated resistant European A. fumigatus. This is first time has been identified outside Europe.

ABSTRACT Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is frequent and often fatal in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. Diagnosis requires microbiological or histopathologic demonstration of the organism tissues; however, cultivation Aspergillus species from respiratory secretions has low diagnostic sensitivity. Assays to detect antigen DNA bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid could facilitate earlier diagnosis, thereby guiding optimal therapy obviating need for additional costly...

ABSTRACT Opportunistic animal and plant pathogens, well represented by the genus Aspergillus , have evolved unique mechanisms to adapt avoid host defenses. fumigatus an increasingly serious pathogen owing expanding numbers of immunocompromised patients, causes majority human infections; however, inability identify bona fide virulence factors has impeded therapeutic advances. We show that A. mutation in a developmentally expressed transcriptional regulator ( ΔlaeA ) coordinating morphological...

Multiple recent studies have demonstrated the limited utility of morphological methods used singly for species identification clinically relevant aspergilli. It is being increasingly recognised that comparative sequence based in conjunction with traditional phenotype can offer better resolution within this genus. Recognising growing role molecular recognition, recently convened international working group meeting entitled "Aspergillus Systematics Genomic Era" has proposed several...

Background. Cryptococcosis is a common opportunistic infection of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected individuals mostly occurring in resource-limited countries. This study compares the performance recently developed lateral flow immunoassay (LFA) to blood culture and enzyme (EIA) for diagnosis cryptococcosis. Methods. Archived sera from 704 HIV-infected patients hospitalized acute respiratory illness Thailand were tested cryptococcal antigenemia using EIA. All EIA-positive subset...

Gliotoxin is a nonribosomal peptide produced by Aspergillus fumigatus. This compound has been proposed as an A. fumigatus virulence factor due to its cytotoxic, genotoxic, and apoptotic properties. Recent identification of the gliotoxin gene cluster identified several genes (gli genes) likely involved in production, including gliZ, encoding putative Zn(2)Cys(6) binuclear transcription factor. Replacement gliZ with marker (DeltagliZ) resulted no detectable production loss expression other gli...

ABSTRACT Aspergillus fumigatus has been understood to be the most common cause of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in all epidemiological surveys. However, recent studies have uncovered a large degree genetic heterogeneity between isolates morphologically identified as A. , leading description new species, lentulus . Here, we examined diversity clinical using restriction enzyme polymorphism analysis and sequence-based identification. Analysis 50 from geographically diverse locations recorded...

ABSTRACT We analyzed antifungal susceptibilities of 274 clinical Aspergillus isolates from transplant recipients with proven or probable invasive aspergillosis collected as part the Transplant-Associated Infection Surveillance Network (TRANSNET) and examined relationship between MIC mortality at 6 12 weeks. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed by Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M38-A2 broth dilution method for amphotericin B (AMB), itraconazole (ITR), voriconazole...

Mucormycosis is an invasive fungal infection with a high fatality rate. We investigated outbreak of mucormycosis in pediatric hospital to determine routes pathogen transmission from the environment and prevent additional infections.A case was defined as hospital-onset illness consistent mucormycosis, confirmed by culture or histopathology. Case-patient medical records were reviewed for clinical course exposure items locations within hospital. Environmental samples collected air surfaces....

ABSTRACT Invasive fungal infections caused by Neosartorya pseudofischeri S. W. Peterson [anamorph Aspergillus thermomutatus (Paden) Peterson] are extremely rare. Phenotypically, the anamorphic state of N. resembles fumigatus , predominant agent invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised hosts. We report recovery three clinical isolates all initially misidentified morphological characteristics as A. . All were correctly identified sequencing portions β-tubulin and rodlet A genes. Only one...

Event-based surveillance (EBS) is the organised approach to detection and reporting of 'signals,' defined as information that may represent events public health importance, often through channels outside routine systems. Signals can be designed detect patterns disease, such clusters similar illness in a community, or disease death animals. also include single cases suspected high-priority patient with viral haemorrhagic fever. EBS key component an effective early warning system, which...

Toll-like receptors mediate macrophage recognition of microbial ligands, inducing expression microbicidal molecules and cytokines via the adapter protein MyD88. We investigated role MyD88 in regulating murine responses to a pathogenic yeast (Candida albicans) mold (Aspergillus fumigatus). Macrophages derived from bone marrow MyD88-deficient mice (MyD88(-/-)) demonstrated impaired phagocytosis intracellular killing C. albicans compared wild-type (MyD88(+/+)) macrophages. In contrast,...

Isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus that demonstrate resistance to itraconazole (ITZ) have been described previously; however, the prevalence and clinical significance ITZ are not completely understood. In this study we assessed susceptibilities 128 A. isolates caused invasive infection in 82 stem cell transplant patients before after use our institution (study period, 1991 2000). The MICs for 10 obtained from seven were high, > or 1 microg/ml. average MIC increased institutional drug began...

Phylogenetic analyses of sequences generated from portions three genes coding for the proteins enolase (enoA), beta-tubulin (benA), and calmodulin (calM) a large number isolates within section Terrei, genus Aspergillus, revealed presence new cryptic species this section, Aspergillus alabamensis. Most members were recovered as colonizing immunocompetent patient populations, had decreased in vitro susceptibilities to antifungal drug amphotericin B, morphologically similar but genetically...

A recent emergence of Cryptococcus gattii in the Pacific Northwest involves strains that fall into three primarily clonal molecular subtypes: VGIIa, VGIIb and VGIIc. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) variable number tandem repeat analysis appear to identify little diversity within these subtypes. Given apparent expansion subtypes new geographic areas their ability cause disease immunocompetent individuals, differentiation isolates belonging could be very important from a public health...

ABSTRACT Improved methods for the detection of Histoplasma capsulatum are needed in regions with limited resources which organism is endemic, where delayed diagnosis progressive disseminated histoplasmosis (PDH) results high mortality rates. We have investigated use a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay to facilitate rapid inexpensive molecular this disease. Primers LAMP were designed amplify Hcp100 locus H. . The sensitivity and limit evaluated using DNA extracted from 91...

Invasive fusariosis (IF) is a rare but often fatal fungal infection in immunosuppressed patients. In 2007, cases of IF above the expected epidemiologic baseline were detected hematology ward hospital Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Possible sources investigated by performing environmental sampling and patient isolate collection, followed molecular typing. Isolates from dermatology patients with superficial included study for comparison to types found community.Environmental focused on water-related...