Molecular Characterization and Antifungal Susceptibility of Clinical Fusarium Species From Brazil.

Fusarium is widely distributed in the environment and is involved with plant and animal diseases. In humans, several species and species complexes (SC) are related to fusariosis, i.e., F. solani SC, F. oxysporum SC, F. fujikuroi SC, F. dimerum, F. chlamydosporum, F. incarnatum-equiseti, and F. sporotrichoides. We aimed to investigate the susceptibility of Fusarium clinical isolates to antifungals and azole fungicides and identify the species. Forty-three clinical Fusarium isolates were identified by sequencing translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1α) gene. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed to the antifungals amphotericin B, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, and isavuconazole, and the azole fungicides difenoconazole, tebuconazole, and propiconazole. The isolates were recovered from patients with median age of 36 years (range 2-78 years) of which 21 were female. Disseminated fusariosis was the most frequent clinical form (n = 16, 37.2%) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 7; 16.3%) was the most commonly underlying condition. A few species described in Fusarium solani SC have recently been renamed in the genus Neocosmospora, but consistent naming is yet not possible. Fusarium keratoplasticum FSSC 2 (n = 12) was the prevalent species, followed by F. petroliphilum FSSC 1 (n = 10), N. gamsii FSSC 7 (n = 5), N. suttoniana FSSC 20 (n = 3), F. solani sensu stricto FSSC 5 (n = 2), Fusarium sp. FSSC 25 (n = 2), Fusarium sp. FSSC 35 (n = 1), Fusarium sp. FSSC18 (n = 1), F. falciforme FSSC 3+4 (n = 1), F. pseudensiforme (n = 1), and F. solani f. xanthoxyli (n = 1). Amphotericin B had activity against most isolates although MICs ranged from 0.5 to 32 µg mL-1. Fusarium keratoplasticum showed high MIC values (8->32 µg mL-1) for itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, and isavuconazole. Among agricultural fungicides, difenoconazole had the lowest activity against FSSC with MICs of >32 µg mL-1 for all isolates.

Ecoepidemiology of Cryptococcus gattii in Developing Countries.

Cryptococcosis is a systemic infection caused by species of the encapsulated yeast Cryptococcus. The disease may occur in immunocompromised and immunocompetent hosts and is acquired by the inhalation of infectious propagules present in the environment. Cryptococcus is distributed in a plethora of ecological niches, such as soil, pigeon droppings, and tree hollows, and each year new reservoirs are discovered, which helps researchers to better understand the epidemiology of the disease. In this review, we describe the ecoepidemiology of the C. gattii species complex focusing on clinical cases and ecological reservoirs in developing countries from different continents. We also discuss some important aspects related to the antifungal susceptibility of different species within the C. gattii species complex and bring new insights on the revised Cryptococcus taxonomy.

Screening of antigenemia and isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii from cloaca and crop of birds in the state of Paraná, Brazil / Antigenemia e tentativa de isolamento de Cryptococcus neoformans e C. gattii a partir da cloaca e inglúvio de aves no Estado do Paraná

Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii are associated with dry bird excreta but rarely recovered from birds' digestive tract. The objective of the present study was (1) to verify the existence of C. neoformans and C. gattii in crop and cloaca of wildlife and captivity birds hypothesizing about a possible primary source of this yeast in the excreta, and (2) to determine the fungi's invasive capability in avian species through latex agglutination. For that purpose, 172 cloacal and 77 crop samples of domestic pigeon, Passerine, and Psittacine birds were collected. None of these samples was positive, suggesting that the yeast is not saprobiotic in the digestive tract of these birds. Only one out of 82 serum samples collected from pigeons and Psittacine birds was positive (title 1:2) showing that Cryptococcus sp. probably has a low invasive capability in birds, and is thus considered only a dry excreta colonizer.

Cryptococcus neoformans e C. gattii são frequentemente isolados de excretas de aves, entretanto ocorre pouca recuperação desse fungo a partir do trato gastrintestinal. Os objetivos desse estudo foram verificar a existência de C. neoformans e C. gattii no inglúvio e na cloaca de aves de vida livre e cativeiro, avaliando uma possível fonte primária desta levedura nas excretas e determinar a capacidade invasiva do fungo em aves por meio da aglutinação em látex. Para tanto, foram coletadas 172 amostras de cloaca e 77 de inglúvio de pombos- domésticos, Passeriformes e Psittaciformes. Nenhuma amostra se mostrou positiva, sugerindo-se que o fungo não é saprobiótico do aparelho digestório destas aves. Das 82 amostras de soro colhidas a partir de pombos-domésticos e Psittaciformes, somente uma obtida a partir de pombo-doméstico se mostrou positiva (titulação 1:2), demonstrando que Cryptococcus sp. apresenta baixa capacidade invasiva em aves, sendo, portanto, considerado somente um colonizador de excretas ressequidas.