Epidemiological profile of dermatophytes at the parasitology-mycology laboratory at Mohammed VI University Hospital in Oujda.

BACKGROUND: dermatophytoses are a current fungal infection, caused by keratinophilic fungi (dermatophytes) able to invade the nails, hair and skin of humans and animals. AIM: the aim of this study was to establish the epidemiological and mycological profile of dermatophytes isolated in the parasitology-mycology laboratory of the Mohammed VI University Hospital in Oujda. METHODS: this is a 48-month retrospective study from January 2019 to December 2022.The study includes samples taken or sent to our parasitology-mycology laboratory for mycological study. A direct examination and culture were performed on each biological specimen. Species identification was based on macroscopic and microscopic colony criteria. RESULTS: in the present report we reviewed 950 mycological samples. Dermatophytes were isolated in 505 (53.15%) cases. The most common infections were tinea unguium (n=353; 69.90%), followed by tinea corporis (n=123; 5.74%) and tinea capitis (n=29; 5.98%). Trichophyton rubrum was the most frequently incriminated species. CONCLUSION: dermatophytes are the most frequent mycoses in humans. They are generally benign and often develop in a chronic and frequently recurrent pattern. Mycological examination is essential. It confirms the fungal origin and isolates the species responsible, in order to identify the source of contamination and implement an appropriate treatment.

Mycology laboratory diagnostic capacity for invasive fungal diseases in public hospitals in Vietnam.

This was a cross-sectional study on the availability of laboratory infrastructure and capacity for the diagnosis of invasive fungal diseases in 24 public hospitals in Vietnam in 2023. Among the hospitals surveyed, 66.7% (14/21) had specialized personnel assigned for mycology testing, and 95.8% (23/24) had a separate microbiology laboratory space. Microscopy and culture methods are available in nearly all laboratories for isolate identification. Antifungal susceptibility testing is only performed for yeasts in 16/24 (66.7%) laboratories. Non-culture methods are hardly used in laboratories. Strengthening local laboratory capacities is essential to meeting health needs in these endemic regions.

There was a need for investment in fungal diagnostics to improve health services in the settings with a burden of endemic fungal infections.

Microscopic fungi on the corpse - Promising tool requiring further research.

Forensic microbiology is a relatively new area of forensic sciences. It considers the potential of microorganisms to be used in criminal investigations. As most studies involve the role of bacteria in fields like post-mortem interval estimation, personal identification or geolocation, the data on the role of fungi is comparatively scarce. Forensic mycology involves the application of fungi and their structures in forensic cases. The aim of this review is the evaluation of the current state of knowledge on fungi associated with human cadavers and their possible role in estimating the time since death. In accordance with the available reports, we focused on the relation between microscopic fungi isolated from human corpses and the cadaver condition e.g., the stage of decomposition. We also emphasised the contrast between the reported methodologies and attempted to standardise research methods in forensic mycology from sample collection to its storage, mycological analysis and identification of the obtained fungal cultures. Moreover, the potential usage of microscopic fungi in criminal cases was discussed based on various case reports.

Current knowledge and practice of Candida auris screening in France: A nationwide survey from the French Society of Medical Mycology (SFMM).

Due to large outbreaks observed worldwide, Candida auris has emerged as a major threat to healthcare facilities. To prevent these phenomena, a systematic screening should be performed in patients transferred from regions where the pathogen is highly endemic. In this study, we recorded and analyzed French mycologists' current knowledge and practice regarding C. auris screening and diagnosis. Thirty-six centers answered an online questionnaire. Only 11 (30.6 %) participants were aware of any systematic screening for C. auris for patients admitted to their hospital. In the case of post-admission screening, axillae/groins (n = 21), nares (n = 7), rectum (n = 9), and mouth (n = 6) alone or various combinations were the body sites the most frequently sampled. Only six centers (8.3 %) reported using a commercially available plate allowing the differentiation of C. auris colonies from that of other Candida species, while five laboratories (13.8 %) had implemented a C. auris-specific qPCR. Considering the potential impact on infected patients and the risk of disorganization in the care of patients, it is crucial to remember to biologists and clinicians the utmost importance of systematic screening on admission.

The Cologne ECMM Excellence Center: A Two-Year Analysis of External Consultation Service for Invasive Fungal Infections.

The European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM), formed due to the surge in invasive fungal infections (IFI), initiated the Excellence Centers program in 2016 to guide stakeholders to leading medical mycology sites. This report focuses on the Cologne ECMM Excellence Center, recognized with Diamond status for active global involvement in 2017. The center offers free consultation via email and phone, responding within 24 h for life-threatening IFI, collecting data on origin, pathogens, infection details, and more. Over two years, 189 requests were received globally, predominantly from Germany (85%), mainly involving Aspergillus spp., Mucorales, and Candida spp. Fungal mixed infections occurred in 4% of cases. The center's service effectively addresses IFI challenges, advocating for a comprehensive study encompassing all ECMM Excellence Centers to enhance global mycological care. Proactive expansion of consultancy platforms is crucial, with future analyses needed to assess expert advice's impact on patient outcomes.

Revised ISHAM-ABPA working group clinical practice guidelines for diagnosing, classifying and treating allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis/mycoses.

BACKGROUND: The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM) working group proposed recommendations for managing allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) a decade ago. There is a need to update these recommendations due to advances in diagnostics and therapeutics. METHODS: An international expert group was convened to develop guidelines for managing ABPA (caused by Aspergillus spp.) and allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis (ABPM; caused by fungi other than Aspergillus spp.) in adults and children using a modified Delphi method (two online rounds and one in-person meeting). We defined consensus as ≥70% agreement or disagreement. The terms "recommend" and "suggest" are used when the consensus was ≥70% and <70%, respectively. RESULTS: We recommend screening for A. fumigatus sensitisation using fungus-specific IgE in all newly diagnosed asthmatic adults at tertiary care but only difficult-to-treat asthmatic children. We recommend diagnosing ABPA in those with predisposing conditions or compatible clinico-radiological presentation, with a mandatory demonstration of fungal sensitisation and serum total IgE ≥500 IU·mL-1 and two of the following: fungal-specific IgG, peripheral blood eosinophilia or suggestive imaging. ABPM is considered in those with an ABPA-like presentation but normal A. fumigatus-IgE. Additionally, diagnosing ABPM requires repeated growth of the causative fungus from sputum. We do not routinely recommend treating asymptomatic ABPA patients. We recommend oral prednisolone or itraconazole monotherapy for treating acute ABPA (newly diagnosed or exacerbation), with prednisolone and itraconazole combination only for treating recurrent ABPA exacerbations. We have devised an objective multidimensional criterion to assess treatment response. CONCLUSION: We have framed consensus guidelines for diagnosing, classifying and treating ABPA/M for patient care and research.

Multicentric Study on the Clinical Mycology Capacity and Access to Antifungal Treatment in Portugal.

The success of the clinical management of invasive fungal diseases (IFD) is highly dependent on suitable tools for timely and accurate diagnosis for effective treatment. An in-depth analysis of the ability of European institutions to promptly and accurately diagnose IFD was previously conducted to identify limitations and aspects to improve. Here, we evaluated and discussed the specific case of Portugal, for which, to our knowledge, there are no reports describing the national mycological diagnostic capacity and access to antifungal treatment. Data from 16 Portuguese medical institutions were collected via an online electronic case report form covering different parameters, including institution profile, self-perceived IFD incidence, target patients, diagnostic methods and reagents, and available antifungals. The majority of participating institutions (69%) reported a low-very low incidence of IFD, with Candida spp. indicated as the most relevant fungal pathogen, followed by Aspergillus spp. and Cryptococcus spp. All institutions had access to culture and microscopy, whereas 94 and 88% were able to run antigen-detection assays and molecular tests, respectively. All of the institutions capable of providing antifungal therapy declared to have access to at least one antifungal. However, echinocandins were only available at 85% of the sites. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) was reported to remain a very restricted practice in Portugal, being available in 19% of the institutions, with the TDM of itraconazole and posaconazole performed in only 6% of them. Importantly, several of these resources are outsourced to external entities. Except for TDM, Portugal appears to be well-prepared concerning the overall capacity to diagnose and treat IFD. Future efforts should focus on promoting the widespread availability of TDM and improved access to multiple classes of antifungals, to further improve patient outcomes.

[Clinical problems in Medical Mycology: Problem number 56]. / Problemas clínicos en Micología Médica: problema número 56.

We present the case of a twenty six year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis, treated with certolizumab. She sought medical attention due to cough, fever and night sweats. X-ray exam showed a miliary pneumonia. She was treated for tuberculosis and 50days later she presented with aphasia. Magnetic nuclear resonance revealed brain lesions. Histoplasma capsulatum PCR test and urinary antigen were positive, so an antifungal treatment with voriconazole was started. Visual adverse effects forced to change the antifungal schedule in both the length of treatment and the antifungal drug. With this measure the patient progressed favorably. The test of urinary Histoplasma capsulatum antigen and PCR amplification were key to make a diagnosis and also for a follow-up.

Disaster mycology / Micología de desastres

Natural and human-made disasters have long played a role in shaping the environment and microbial communities, also affecting non-microbial life on Earth. Disaster microbiology is a new concept based on the notion that a disaster changes the environment causing adaptation or alteration of microbial populations -growth, death, transportation to a new area, development traits, or resistance- that can have downstream effects on the affected ecosystem. Such downstream effects include blooms of microbial populations and the ability to colonize a new niche or host, cause disease, or survive in former extreme conditions. Throughout history, fungal populations have been affected by disasters. There are prehistoric archeological records of fungal blooms after asteroid impacts and fungi implicated in the fall of the dinosaurs. In recent times, drought and dust storms have caused disturbance of soil fungi, and hurricanes have induced the growth of molds on wet surfaces, resulting in an increased incidence of fungal disease. Probably, the anticipated increase in extreme heat would force fungi adaptation to survive at high temperatures, like those in the human body, and thus be able to infect mammals. This may lead to a drastic rise of new fungal diseases in humans.

Los desastres naturales o los causados por el hombre impactan la formación de ecosistemas y comunidades microbianas, y también afectan las formas de vida no microbianas. Este concepto es conocido como "microbiología de desastres", una subespecialización de la microbiología, basada en los cambios ambientales generados por un desastre y las posibles adaptaciones o alteraciones de las poblaciones microbianas ­crecimiento, muerte, trasporte a una nueva región, o adquisición de resistencia o de nuevas características­ que influirán en el moldeamiento del ecosistema transformado. Algunos de los efectos de estas adaptaciones pueden ser: el surgimiento de poblaciones microbianas, la habilidad de colonizar nuevos nichos u huéspedes, la generación de nuevas enfermedades, o el crecimiento de microorganismos en condiciones que antes eran "extremas" para ellos. A lo largo de la historia, varias poblaciones de hongos han sido afectadas por desastres. Existen registros arqueológicos prehistóricos que evidencian la presencia y el crecimiento de hongos luego del impacto de asteroides, y otros de hongos relacionados con la extinción de los dinosaurios. Actualmente, las sequías y las tormentas de polvo causan perturbaciones en las comunidades de hongos del suelo, y los huracanes inducen el crecimiento de hongos filamentosos en superficies húmedas, lo que aumenta la cantidad de enfermedades por hongos. Además, con el aumento de las temperaturas extremas es posible que los hongos puedan adaptarse para sobrevivir a temperaturas más altas, equivalentes a las temperaturas corporales, y nuevas especies puedan infectar mamíferos. Esto puede llevar a un aumento drástico de las infecciones fúngicas en humanos.

Cadavers found outdoor in whom fungal growth was observed on the body surface: Consideration of the role of mycology in forensic medicine.

In forensic case work, fungal growth is occasionally observed on decomposed cadavers, however, the isolation of these organisms is not always carried out routinely. The usefulness of investigating fungi isolated from corpses in forensic settings, has been reported, such as providing trace evidence, estimating the time since death, and ascertaining the time of deposition. A 32-year-old male missing for 4 months, was found in a car in a forest far from his home and had died from blood loss, having been stabbed with a kitchen knife in the left side of his chest. Whitish or white greenish colonies ranging 5 cm to 8 cm in size were observed over his whole body. Penicillium commune and Cladosporium cladosporioides were isolated from the colonies. A 49-year-old male missing for one month, and was found dead at 500 m elevation in the mountains. An autopsy was conducted, but the cause of death could not be determined. Dark greenish or whitish colonies were found on his face and neck, and Epicoccum nigrum, Mucor sp.. Cladosporium sp., and Pestalotiopsis sp. were isolated. Penicillium sp. and Cladosporium sp. are major indoor fungi, and Epicoccum sp. and Pestalotiopsis sp. are plant pathogens found in outdoor environments. There was no discrepancy between the police statement and findings of the corpse such as place discovered, types of isolated fungi, and estimated time since death. Identifying fungi on cadavers may aid in forensic casework, and further studies are needed to develop for the use of fungi as a forensic tool.

Mycology: The overlooked but obvious process of fungal-induced fossil biomineralization.

The ability of fungi to mineralize substrates is a common but underestimated phenomenon. Now, researchers have demonstrated the usefulness of this process in fossilization by documenting the formation of hydroxyapatite nanofibres. This opens new avenues in palaeomycology and palaeontology.

What mysteries lay in spore: taxonomy, data, and the internationalization of mycology in Saccardo's Sylloge Fungorum.

Italian mycologist Pier Andrea Saccardo is best remembered for his monumental Sylloge Fungorum, the first 'modern' effort to compile all identified fungi within a single classification scheme. The existing history of mycology is limited and has primarily focused on developments within England, but this article argues that Saccardo and his collaborators on the Sylloge supported a vital transnational expansion of mycological knowledge exchange and played a crucial role in stabilizing the tangled knot of local naming and identification among the world's amateur and professional mycologists. Written in the 'universal' scientific language of Latin, the Sylloge served as an early database of fungal knowledge and symbolized a broader unification of mycological inquiry in a moment of expanded scientific correspondence. The article situates this proto-database in broader histories of big data in biology and shows how the Sylloge formed a globalizing foundation for the twentieth century's major collecting and taxonomic advances in mycology.

Palynology and mycology as biological evidence in a homicide case.

Criminal cases are studied from several disciplines to link a suspect with a criminal act. In this case, a man was reported missing in a coastal area in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The victim's relatives pointed to a possible suspect, and the local police carried out the investigation. We contributed to this research by applying palynological and mycological techniques. Palynomorphs and fungal spores offer valuable trace evidence, as they can be easily transferred between objects and crime scenes due to their minute size and persist on them for a long time. The victim was found 25 days later, lying on sandy soil, which partially covered the body, 35 km from where the suspect was arrested. Comparative samples were collected from the crime scene and the suspect's home and belongings (clothes, footwear, and seized vehicle). The palynological associations obtained from the crime scene and the defendant's belongings were dominated by diatoms and acritarchs (Acantomorphitae), all elements of marine origin, and a high CFU number of Bipolaris cynodontis, which allowed the defendant's clothing to be related to the place of corpse discovery. Soil from the defendant's home had an entirely continental composition, and the fungal biota was characteristic of prairie areas which were different from those of the crime scene.

Social Mycology: Using Social Media Networks in the Management of Aspergillosis and Other Mycoses.

Online social media networks are an integral part of modern life. Microblogging sites such as Twitter have hundreds of millions of active users globally and have been enthusiastically adopted by many in the medical profession. For advancing a relatively neglected field such as fungal infection, this can be especially advantageous. Education, research networking, case discussions and public and patient engagement can all be greatly enhanced through the use of social media networks. This review highlights the ways in which this can work successfully in the case of aspergillosis and fungal infection in general, as well as highlighting the dangers and pitfalls of social media medicine.

Micheli y el género Aspergillus / Micheli and genus Aspergillus

Pier Antonio Micheli nació en Florencia, Italia, en el año 1697. Fue un destacado científico, botánico y se le considera el padre de la micología. Dedicó su vida a la taxonomía y al estudio de especies no conocidas de plantas, hongos y líquenes. En 1729 publicó el libro Nova Plantarum Genera, donde describió 1900 plantas, entre las que se encontraban 900 hongos y líquenes. Aquí describió especies de hongos como Botrytis, Mucor y Aspergillus, las cuales tienen importancia en patología médica, animal y vegetal hasta el día de hoy. Murió el 1 de enero de 1737, en su natal Florencia, de una enfermedad pulmonar cuya causa no está bien clara. El legado de Micheli sigue presente y constituye un ejemplo para todos aquellos que se dedican al difícil arte de la taxonomía en sus distintas áreas y en especial a la micología

Pier Antonio Micheli was born in Florence, Italy, in 1697. He was a prominent scientist, botanist and is considered the father of mycology. He dedicated his life to taxonomy and the study of unknown species of plants, fungi, and lichens. In 1729 he published the book Nova Plantarum Genera, where he described 1900 plants, including 900 fungi and lichens. There he described fangal species such as Botrytis, Mucor and Aspergillus, wich are of importance in medical, animal, and plant pathology to this day. He died on January 1, 1737, in his native Florence, due to a lung disease whose cause is unclear. Micheli's legacy is still present, constituting an example for all those who are dedicated to the difficult art of taxonomy in its different areas, especially to mycology.