Medical Mycology – Page 5

Mapping Histoplasma spp. in bats and cave ecosystems: evidence from midwestern Brazil

mycolabadmin

Researchers studied caves in Brazil to find where a fungus called Histoplasma that causes histoplasmosis disease is located. They tested soil from caves and tested bats that live in these caves. They found the fungus in about 20% of cave soil samples and in one-third of the bats tested. Multiple bat species were carriers of the fungus, and researchers even found it in bat brains for the first time.

Multilocus sequence typing of Candida albicans isolates from wild and farm animals from southern Italy

mycolabadmin

Researchers in Italy studied a fungus called Candida albicans that can infect both humans and animals. They analyzed samples from chickens, wild boars, and lizards to understand how genetically similar these animal strains are to human infections. They found that animal strains are very similar to human strains, suggesting the fungus could be passed between animals and people. This research highlights the importance of monitoring fungal infections in animals to understand public health risks.

Detection of Multiple Nosocomial Trichosporon asahii Transmission Events via Microsatellite Typing Assay, South America

mycolabadmin

Researchers developed a new genetic fingerprinting method to identify and track Trichosporon asahii, a dangerous fungal infection that spreads in hospitals. Using this tool on clinical samples from South America, they discovered multiple separate outbreak events where the same fungal strains infected patients across different hospitals and years. This method is faster and cheaper than other genetic tests, making it useful for hospitals worldwide to detect and prevent fungal outbreaks.

Candida krusei Empyema: A Lung Transplant Case and Systematic Review of the Literature

mycolabadmin

Candida krusei is a dangerous fungus that can cause fluid buildup around the lungs (empyema), particularly in transplant patients. Unlike common fungal infections that respond to fluconazole, this species is naturally resistant to this drug, making it harder to treat. The fungus forms protective biofilms that shield it from treatment, requiring combination antifungal medications and sometimes surgery to drain the fluid and remove infected tissue for successful recovery.

Transcription factor RonA-driven GlcNAc catabolism is essential for growth, cell wall integrity, and pathogenicity in Aspergillus fumigatus

mycolabadmin

Researchers identified how a deadly fungus called Aspergillus fumigatus uses a special nutrient (GlcNAc) to survive and cause disease. They found that a protein called RonA controls this nutrient processing and also helps the fungus hide from the immune system by building a protective outer coating. When RonA is disabled, the fungus becomes much less dangerous because the immune system can recognize it better. This discovery suggests RonA could be a new target for developing antifungal drugs.

Targeted long-read sequencing analysis and antifungal susceptibility profiles of Sporothrix schenckii isolates from Thailand

mycolabadmin

Researchers in Thailand studied a fungal infection called sporotrichosis caused by Sporothrix schenckii, which infects both cats and humans. Using advanced DNA sequencing technology from Oxford Nanopore, they identified and classified 26 fungal samples and tested how well common antifungal medications worked against them. They found that calmodulin gene sequencing was better than the standard ITS test for identifying the fungus species, and that about one-third of the samples showed reduced sensitivity to the main treatment drug, itraconazole.

Is Cryptococcus neoformans a pleomorphic fungus?

mycolabadmin

Cryptococcus neoformans is a dangerous fungal pathogen that causes serious infections in humans. For many years, scientists thought this fungus existed primarily as regular yeast cells. However, new research shows the fungus can change into several different cell forms during infection, including larger ‘titan cells’ and smaller ‘seed cells.’ These shape-shifting abilities help the fungus survive in the human body and evade immune responses, making infections harder to treat.

The refractory nailbed ulceration caused by Candida parapsilosis after nail extraction

mycolabadmin

An 82-year-old woman developed a stubborn wound on her toenail bed after having her nail surgically removed to treat an infection. When the wound did not heal for six months, doctors discovered it was caused by a fungus called Candida parapsilosis, which is normally found on skin but can cause infections when given the opportunity through wounds. After identifying the fungus, doctors treated her with an antifungal medication called fluconazole for three months, and her wound completely healed. This case shows the importance of testing chronic nail infections for their specific cause before performing surgery.

Emergence of resistant dermatophytosis caused by Trichophyton indotineae: First case series in Thailand

mycolabadmin

Doctors in Thailand have identified a new drug-resistant fungal infection caused by Trichophyton indotineae, a fungus that doesn’t respond to common antifungal medication terbinafine. Five patients were diagnosed with this resistant skin infection that caused rashes on various body parts and failed to improve with standard treatments. The research shows that a simple urease test can help doctors quickly identify this resistant fungus, and a different drug called itraconazole appears to work better for treatment. This is the first time this resistant fungus has been confirmed in Thailand, suggesting it is spreading globally.

Sporothrix davidellisii: A new pathogenic species belonging to the Sporothrix pallida complex

mycolabadmin

Scientists have identified a new fungal species called Sporothrix davidellisii that causes an infection in cats. This fungus was found in an infected cat in Australia and is related to other fungi that cause sporotrichosis, a skin disease in humans and animals. The discovery shows that cats can help scientists identify new fungal pathogens in their environments, making them important sentinels for tracking emerging diseases.

Research Topic: Medical Mycology