Fusarium
Dongyou Liu in Laboratory Models for Foodborne Infections, 2017
The members of the genus Fusarium are hyaline filamentous fungi and are found largely as saprophytic organisms in soil. Fusaria cause a range of infections collectively known as fusariosis and have been documented as etiological agents in localized tissue infections, keratitis, endophthalmitis, septic arthritis, cystitis, peritonitis, brain abscesses, and breast abscess. The mycotoxins of these fungi are involved in the infectious processes and may serve as potential virulence factors. Fusarium is also one of the major fungal genera associated with maize and other cereals throughout the world. Several species are the most prolific producers of mycotoxins and are frequently associated with mycotoxicoses in both humans and animals. This chapter intends to provide an overview about the rodents (rats and mice) and mammalian cell lines that were most recently used as laboratory models to study Fusarium mycotoxicoses.
Selected Human Pathogenic Fungi
Rajendra Prasad, Mahmoud A. Ghannoum in Lipids of Pathogenic Fungi, 2017
Infection with Fusarium ranges from mild skin infection to fulminant disseminated infection. F. oxysporum is the second most common cause of onychomycosis, but deep skin infections are rare. Ocular infections, such as corneal ulcer or endophthalmitis, may occur as a result of trauma or surgery. Other focal infections, such as osteomyelitis, may follow trauma.24 Isolated sinus disease has also been reported. In the neutropenic host, Fusarium can cause rapidly disseminated disease, with mortality reaching 70%. These patients present with refractory fever on broad spectrum antibiotics and even fungal prophylaxis. Approximately 80% develop skin lesions, which may be erythematous macules, palpable or non-palpable purpura, or flaccid pustules.23 The lesions eventually necrose, developing central eschars. Many sites of involvement may be evident, including sinuses, brain, lung, abdominal organs and musculoskeletal system. The infection becomes fatal if it remains undiagnosed. The recovery of bone marrow function is thought to be a critical factor in the recovery of patients diagnosed in time. There are also reports of patients with fungemia, but no signs of tissue invasion or organ involvement. All these patients had indwelling catheters and relatively short episodes of neutropenia, and they responded well to catheter removal and antifungal therapy.24
Liposomal Amphotericin B
M. Lindsay Grayson, Sara E. Cosgrove, Suzanne M. Crowe, M. Lindsay Grayson, William Hope, James S. McCarthy, John Mills, Johan W. Mouton, David L. Paterson in Kucers’ The Use of Antibiotics, 2017
Fusarium species can cause difficult-to-treat infections, particularly in the immunocompromised, in whom infection can disseminate and become life threatening. Fusarium keratitis is a common cause of fungal keratitis. Susceptibility to AmB in vitro is variable and species dependent (see Chapter 141, Amphotericin B Deoxycholate); however, AmB-based therapies are often used, as there are few effective alternatives. As with many other indications for DAmB, liposomal formulations are preferred where available to minimize the risk of renal toxicity. There are, however, very little data for the use of LAmB in fusariosis, although doses of 3–5 mg/kg/day have been reported to be successful in treating neutropenic patients with Fusarium infections (Nucci et al., 2003). Moreover, a more recent retrospective analysis of 233 cases of invasive fusariosis found a 90-day survival of 53% of patients who were treated with a liposomal formulation of AmB compared to 28% in patients who were given DAmB (Nucci et al., 2014).
Fungal and mycotoxin occurrence, affecting factors, and prevention in herbal medicines: a review
Published in Toxin Reviews, 2022
Jingsheng Yu, Meihua Yang, Jianping Han, Xiaohui Pang
Fusarium genus includes various species, which are not only pathogenic to plants, but also produce mycotoxins (fumonisin, zearalenone, and deoxynivalenol). Occurrence of these mycotoxins in herbal medicines has harmful impact on the human health worldwide. The reported fungi that contaminated in herbal medicines include Fusarium poae, Fusarium sporotrichioides, Fusarium graminearum, and Fusarium nivale. Yu et al. (2020) analyzed the fungal microbiome in Platycladi Semen, demonstrating that Fusarium poae was detected in all collected samples. Chen et al. (2010a) reported that Fusarium was one of the predominant genera in root herbs in China. In Argentina, Rizzo et al. (2004) determined the incidence of potential mycotoxin-producing fungi in herbs, and 16% of 152 samples were contaminated with Fusarium. Furthermore, 27.5% of 29 Fusarium strains produced FUB2 including Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium proliferatum. Jiao et al. (2015) studied the effect of Fusarium solani and Fusarium oxysporum on the metabolism of ginsenosides in American ginseng roots. The result showed that the growth of both Fusarium strains was limited to phloem, and these fungi influenced the production of Rg1 and Rd significantly. Therefore, Fusarium has been recognized as a common fungal genus that contaminated in medicinal plants and fresh herbs.
Evolution of antifungals for invasive mold infections in immunocompromised hosts, then and now
Published in Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy, 2023
Zoe Freeman Weiss, Jessica Little, Sarah Hammond
Fusariosis is the second most common invasive hyaline mold infection after invasive aspergillosis [77]. Fusariosis is caused by a variety of species, including Fusarium solani complex (including F. falciforme, formerly known as Acremonium falciforme; and F. lichenicola, formerly known as Cylindrocarpon lichenicola), F. oxysporum, F. (Gibberella) fujikuroi species complex [78]. Fusariosis can present with pulmonary, ocular, cutaneous, or disseminated disease. Skin lesions are very common (60–80%) and mortality ranges from 50 to 70% in immunocompromised hosts [78–82]. Fusarium is typically diagnosed through fungal culture or sequencing of involved tissue, though occasionally may be identified in routine blood cultures. Similar to IA, surgical debridement, early systemic antifungal therapy, and reversal of immunosuppression constitute the therapeutic approach to fusariosis.
Epidemiology, risk factors, and clinical outcomes in severe microbial keratitis in South India
Published in Ophthalmic Epidemiology, 2018
Jaya Devi Chidambaram, Namperumalsamy Venkatesh Prajna, Palepu Srikanthi, Shruti Lanjewar, Manisha Shah, Shanmugam Elakkiya, Prajna Lalitha, Matthew J. Burton
Analysis of the outcomes for the most frequent causative organisms showed that 62% of Fusarium sp. ulcers had a good outcome (n = 46/74), versus only 23% in Aspergillus sp. ulcers (n = 8/35), and 22% in S. pneumoniae ulcers (n = 2/9, i.e., n = 2/8 pure S. pneumoniae keratitis and n = 0/1 mixed infection with fungus; Table 6). With regard to perforation, 18% of Fusarium ulcers perforated (n = 13/74), versus 20% of Aspergillus ulcers (n = 7/35), and 56% of S. pneumoniae ulcers perforated or required corneal glue (n = 5/9, i.e., n = 4/8 pure S. pneumoniae keratitis and n = 1/1 mixed infection with fungus; Table 6). Overall, patients who developed corneal perforation had significantly longer symptom duration prior to presentation (median 10 days, IQR: 6–15, p = 0.008) compared to all other ulcers (median 7 days, IQR: 4–10). The ulcer itself was significantly larger at presentation in the perforated group (5.3 mm2 in perforated ulcers, IQR: 3.9–6.9 mm2 vs. 4.2 mm2 all others, IQR: 3.3–5.3 mm2, p = 0.001) and a greater proportion of perforated ulcers already involved the posterior third of the cornea at the first visit (90% in perforated ulcers vs. 62% all others, p < 0.001). Initial visual acuity was also significantly poorer in the perforation group (median logMAR 1.8, IQR: 1.7–1.8, p = 0.001).
Related Knowledge Centers
- Commensalism
- Mycotoxin
- Phylogenetics
- Skin Flora
- Pathology
- Fumonisin
- Plant Pathology
- Clade
- Gibberella Fujikuroi
- Fusarium Affine