Epidemiology based on new taxonomy

Ref ID: 19456

Author:

K. Lagrou

Author address:

UZ Leuven, Belgium

Full conference title:

6th Trends in Medical Mycology 2013

Date: 11 October 2014

Abstract:

The identification of fungi by molecular techniques has generated
important changes in fungal taxonomy. New species have been
described, and others have been discovered to be complexes of several
species that are (almost) indistinguishable by morphological methods
(cryptic species).
Aspergillus species are still the most common moulds isolated from
human samples from deep sites with Aspergillus fumigatus being the
most frequent species. Regional differences in the presence of Asper-
gillus flavus, Aspergillus terreus, and Aspergillus niger in clinical sam-
ples have been reported. A. flavus has been described as the most
second common Aspergillus species in several centres both in Europe
and the US whereas A. terreus is particularly frequent in Austria.
Interestingly, a population-based survey of filamentous fungi and
antifungal resistance conducted in Spain (FILPOP study) revealed
that that cryptic Aspergillus species are more prevalent in clinical
samples (12% of cases) than other species of filamentous fungi that
belong to the order Mucorales and the genera Scedosporium and Fusa-
rium which are regarded as emerging fungi. The most frequent cryp-
tic species being reported both in Europe and in the US are
Aspergillus tubingensis (section Nigri), Aspergillus calidoustus (section
Usti) and Aspergillus lentulus (section Fumigati). The number of iso-
lates of A. tubingensis was higher than that of its sibling species A.
niger in a Spanish and a Belgian study.
Recent molecular studies supported by morphological, physiologi-
cal and genetic analysis showed that Scedosporium apiospermum is a
species complex comprising at least five distinct species: Scedosporium
aurantiacum, Pseudallescheria minutispora, Scedosporium dehoogii, S.
apiospermum and Pseudallescheria boydii. S. apiospermum was reported
as the most common species both in the environment and in clinical
samples in a survey performed in Austria and the Netherlands. In
cystic fibrosis patients in France P. boydii largely predominated.
Molecular methods are required for accurate identification of
Trichosporon spp. Epidemiological data based on new taxonomy are
scarce. A Europe-wide study of trichosporonosis (TriReg, ECMM
study) was imitated recently to overcome the lack of knowledge on
epidemiology, clinical course and biology of trichosporonosis.
More studies are certainly needed to understand the local epidemi-
ology of fungal infections in each area. The availability of sequencing
may be the limiting factor but matrix-assisted laser desorption ioniza-
tion time of flight (Maldi-TOF) mass spectrometry may be useful for
the identification of cryptic species in future.

Abstract Number: w10.1

Conference Year: 2013

Link to conference website: NULL

New link: NULL

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