Disseminated pulmonary adiaspiromycosis in a crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata Linnaeus, 1758)

Adiaspiromycosis is primarily a necrotizing granulomatous pneumonia caused by a dimorphic fungus of the genus Emmonsia. A young crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) found dead showed multiple fractures, chronic pleuritis, and granulomatous pneumonia. Microscopically, cystic structures were consistent with adiaspiromycosis by Emmonsia crescens. The diagnosis was confirmed using molecular methods.     

Adiaspiromycosis of an Apodemus agrarius captured wild rodent in Korea

Adiaspiromycosis is caused by pulmonary infection with Emmonsia. Inhalated spores of Emmonsia cause asymptomatic infection to necrogranulomatous pneumonia, depending on the burden of adiaspore and host immunity. For disease monitoring of wild rodents captured on Jeju Island in Korea, we examined the lung tissue of wild rodents histopathologically. Spores composed of thick three-layered walls were found following histopathological examination and were diagnosed as adiaspiromycosis. Adiaspiromycosis has been found in mammals in many parts of the world. To our knowledge, this is the first report of adiaspiromycosis of an Apodemus agrarius captured in Korea.     

Mutants ofEmmonsia crescens — Their pathogenicity and size of adiasporesin vivo

The pathogenicity of seven morphological mutants ofEmmonsia crescens was tested by means of intraperitoneal inoculation in mice. All mutants caused adiaspiromycosis. Adiaspores were isolated from granulomas after 2 months and their diameters were determined. Adiaspores from granulomas caused by five mutants (M-5, M-6, M-8, M-9 and M-16) were significantly smaller than adiaspores from granulomas caused by the wild strain, from which the mutants were derived. Two mutants (M-6 and M-9) produced adiaspores of the smallest diameter (130.5 and 119.9 μm) with the lowest variance of values, differing thus most from the original wild strain with adiaspores of 230.4 μm in diameter. A positive correlation was found between the size of the adiasporein vivo and growth rate of the mycelial stage ofEmmonsia crescens in vitro. The mutation characterized by the decreased growth rate of the mycelial stage is pheno-typically manifested in the adiasporic stage of the life cycle ofEmmonsia crescens, i.e. by the smaller average size of adiaspores in granulomas.     

Some morphological observations concerning problems of endosporulation in Emmonsia crescens — Aetiological agent in adiaspiromycosis

Morphologic study dealing with problems of endosporulation in some spherules ofEmmonsia crescens.From the Departments of Pathology and Biology, Medical Faculty of Palacký University, Olomouc, Czechoslovakia.     

Scanning electron microscopy of experimental adiaspiromycosis

Adiaspiromycotic granulomas of mice experimentally inoculated with fungusEmmonsia crescens Emmons et Jellison 1960 were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Their morphology, surface structures, and germinating adiaspores isolated from granulomas are described.     

Adiaspiromycosis in Czechoslovakian mammals

The examination of 46 mammalian species in Czechoslovakia revealed adiaspiromycosis caused by the Emmonsia crescens in 22 species of free living animals; E. parva was the etiological agent in 3 species. The disease was most frequently found in carnivores of the family Mustelidae.     

Seasonal incidence of adiaspores of Emmonsia crescens emmons & Jellison 1960 in wildly living animals

Summary In a collection of rodents from one locality a remarkable irregularity of monthly incidence of lung adiaspores was observed. The highest frequency of infection was ascertained in animals captured in April and May. The authors consider this phenomenon to be important for the elucidation of the life cycle ofEmmonsia crescens in nature.     

Isolation of Emmonsia crescens Emmons et Jellison 1960 from small mammals in Bulgaria

Authors examined a total of 3849 specimens of mammals included in 36 species from different region of Bulgaria. Adiaspiromycosis was detected microscopically in 18 mammals species. Strains of Emmonsia crescens Emmons et Jellison 1960 was isolated from 6 species--Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus sylvaticus, Clethrionomys glareolus, Microtus arvalis, Musmusculus and Rattus norvegicus.     

The Ajellomycetaceae, a new family of vertebrate-associated Onygenales

Phylogenies inferred from the analysis of DNA sequence data have shown that the Onygenales contains clades that do not correspond with previously described families. One lineage identified in recent molecular phylogenetic studies includes the dimorphic pathogens belonging to the genera Ajellomyces, Emmonsia and Paracoccidioides. To evaluate the degree of support for this lineage and determine whether it includes additional taxa, we examined relationships among the members of this clade and selected saprobic onygenalean taxa based on maximum-parsimony analyses of partial nuclear large RNA subunit (LSU) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. A clade distinct from the Onygenaceae was found to encompass Ajellomyces (including the anamorph genera Blastomyces, Emmonsia and Histoplasma) and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. The members of this lineage are saprobic and pathogenic vertebrate-associated taxa distinguished by their globose ascomata with coiled appendages, muricate globose or oblate ascospores, and lack of keratinolytic activity. Anamorphs are solitary aleurioconidia or irregular alternate arthroconidia. Based on molecular data and on morphological and physiological similarities among these taxa, we propose the new family, Ajellomycetaceae.     

The action of bacillary inhibitory substances on human-pathogenic, phytopathogenic and saprotrophic fungi]

The study has shown that the growth of many soil fungi is inhibited by the effect of substances which are produced into the environment by some bacilli-saprotrophs. Besides, these substances can bring about a dimorphism of the Trichoderma, Blastomyces, Emmonsia, Alternaria and Verticillium fungi from the mycelial form into the yeast form, which results in the death of the fungi. The existence of bacilli capable of producing the inhibitory substances, in the soil in the territory of the USSR may explain, to a certain extent, the absence of the coccidioidomycosis and North American blastomycosis agents pathogenic for people and many animals.     

Influence of animal hibernation on the development of mycoses

The development of adiaspiromycosis and trichophytosis depending upon the state of activity of redcheeked squirrels is described. The conidia of Chrysosporium (Emmonsia) parvum var. crescens, are not transformed into adiaspores when injected into hibernating animals. During the hibernation period of four months, most of the conidia die. After awakening, the remaining viable conidia are transformed into adiaspores. During hibernation the squirrels, which had been infected with Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. granulosum, developed a symptom-free infection.     

Comparative susceptibility of the agents of adiaspiromycosis to imidazole derivatives in vitro

Clotrimazole, econazole, ketoconazole and miconazole inhibited the growth of Emmonsia crescens and E. parva in vitro. Clotrimazole and econazole gave particularly low minimal inhibitory concentrations against the mycelial phase of the fungi, and minimal fungicidal concentrations of all four antifungals were about 2 to 4 times higher than the minimal inhibitory concentration. The adiasporic developmental phases of E. crescens and E. parva were slightly more sensitive to all the imidazole antifungals than the mycelial phases.     

The prevalence of adiaspiromycosis in three sympatric species of ground squirrels

Lungs from three species of ground squirrels collected in south central Saskatchewan were examined by histopathology and a digestion technique for adiaspores of Emmonsia crescens. Two of 81 (2.5%) Citellus richardsoni, 3 of 17 (17.6%) C. tridecemlineatus and 35 of 44 (79.5%) C. franklini were infected. Infection was more common in adults than in young-of-the-year. Tissue digestion was the more sensitive method for detecting adiaspores. Possible reasons for the difference in prevalence among the species are discussed.     

The ultrastructure of the spherules of Emmonsia crescens studied by the technique of freeze-etching

Young spherules (adiaspores) of the fungusEmmonsia crescens from the cultures growing on Sabouraud's dextrose agar have been prepared for electron microscopy by the technique of freeze-etching. In the cytoplasmic membrane grooved invaginations corresponding with the ridges on the inner face of the cell membrane have been found. The surface of the cytoplasmic membrane is densely covered with regular globules, the diameter of which is about 100 Å. Mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, nuclear membrane with pores, and numerous stock materials in the form of fatty drops, and glycogen can be identified in the cytoplasm.

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Zusammenfassung Junge Sphärulen (Adiasporen) der auf Sabouraud's Glukoseagar wachsenden Kultur vonEmmonsia crescens wurden mit Hilfe der freeze-etching-Technik elektronenmikroskopisch studiert. An der cytoplasmatischen Membran wurden Invaginationen festgestellt. Diesen Invaginationen entsprechen Ausläufer der inneren Zellwandfläche. Die Oberfläche der cytoplasmatischen Membran ist mit regelmässigen Globulen (ca. 100 Å) dicht bedeckt. Im Cytoplasma konnten Mitochondrien, endoplasmatisches Retikulum, Kernmembran mit Poren sowie zahlreiche Reservestoff in Form der Fett-Tröpfchen und Glykogen identifiziert werden.

     

Particularites de l'infestation adiaspiromycosique par Emmonsia crescens Emmons et Jellison, 1960 chez Pitymys subterraneus (De Selys-Longchamps 1836) et Mustela nivalis nivalis L. 1766

From the observation of some hundred lungs of small wild mammals in France, we have found two types of parasitism byEmmonsia crescens Emmons &Jellison, (1960). In most species, for example inApodemus sylvaticus andClethrionomys glareolus, the adiaspores ranged from 200 to 475 µ in diameter, their cell walls are 28 µ in average thickness and they cause a weak histological reaction in the parenchyma of the lungs. InPitymys subterraneus, the adiaspores are always much smaller, about 85 µ. They have a thin cell wall, 4 µ, and are surrounded by a strong histological reaction, the thickness of which ranges from 130 to 140 µ. The adiaspores observed inMustela nivalis nivalis are still smaller, about 70 µ, and they provoke a pulmonary reaction a hundred µ thick. However, we think that these small adiaspores belong to the speciesEmmonsia crescens Emmons &Jellison, (1960):

1. they germinate springing many mycelian tubes.
2. the macroscopic and microscopic morphological characteristics of the mycelian phase are identical to those of several strains ofEmmonsia crescens.
3. the mycelian phase completely turns into the yeast phase at 37° C on “Brain Heart Agar” Difco.
4. a strain isolated from aP. subterraneus, inoculated to a white mice, a bank vole or a field vole gives big adiaspores typical ofE. crescens in their respective lungs.
5. from an epidemiologic point of view, it is difficult to imagine such a narrow cohabitation of two species of so non specific germ having each its own host.

     

Fine needle aspiration of pulmonary adiaspiromycosis: a case report

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary adiaspiromycosis is a common disease of many species of wild rodents and occasionally of humans, caused by the inhalation of spores of the fungus Chrysosporium parvum var crescens (Emmonsia crescens). CASE: A 74-year-old female with pulmonary adiaspiromycosis was diagnosed by radiologically guided lung fine needle aspiration (FNA). The specimen showed intracellular and extracellular 100-300 microm conidia with a distinct thick, trilaminar wall, which was positive for Gomori-methenamine silver and periodic acid-Schiff stain. The background consisted of a granulomatous process. CONCLUSION: FNA is an effective method of diagnosing pulmonary adiaspiromycosis, and pathologists need to be aware of the characteristic features of this unusual opportunistic fungal infection.     

In vitro formation of adiospores in 10 strains of Emmonsia cresens, the fungal agent of adiospiromycosis]

Emmonsia crescens Emmons and Jellison 1960 is a dimorphic fungus responsible for pulmonary mycoses in animals and man. Temperature was the essential factor influencing the development of the parasitic phase : the adiaspores, which formed better at 37 degrees than at 40 degrees. Certain media (medium with blood, with egg, Sabouraud...) also favoured the growth of adiaspores. The amount of CO2 in the ambiant atmosphere had no effect on the formation of adiaspore phase. On the other hand, the liquid medium Sabouraud was not suitable for certain strains wich were not able to develop adiaspores in semianaerobic media neither at 37 degrees nor at 40 degrees.     

Adiaspiromycosis of human skin caused by Emmonsia crescens

Two cases of cutaneous adiaspiromycosis by Emmonsia crescens are reported. This is the first human skin infection by this species and is the first report of its kind in man from India. In the first patient, the agent was demonstrated in KOH mounts, histology and culture from irregular, pigmented skin plaques on the right gluteal area. The lesion also contained calcium. In the second patient the fungus was demonstrated histologically in a knee lesion. The agent had elicited a histiocytic and giant cell reaction in the dermis in both cases. The first patient suffered from anaemia and epilepsy and the second suffered from nephropathy with chyluria. The skin lesions were surgically excised with skin grafting in the first patient.     

Adiaspiromycosis in large free living carnivores

Adiaspiromycosis was identified in 6 animals in the examination of the lungs of 90 large carnivores. Emmonsia crescens (Chrysosporium parvum var. crescens) was demonstrated as the causative agent in 5 cases of disease — in the badger (Meles meles), the otter (Lutra lutra) and the fox (Vulpes vulpes). E. parva was demonstrated in the remaining case of disease in a fox. The badger is a new, up to the present unknown host of E. crescens. The sporadic occurrence of adiaspiromycosis in the fox and the otter classifies this disease among rare diseases of these animals.     

The effect of fungizone on experimental adiaspiromycosis of laboratory mice

Summary In laboratory mice weighing about 25 g, with experimental infection of adiaspiromycosis, total inhibition of development of the parasitic phase of the agent of this mycosis is induced with Fungizone — Squibb in daily intraperitoneal administration of 0.03 mg (dissolved in 0.1 ml of isotonic saline). In autopsies carried out 10th, 20th and 30th day after an intraperitoneal inoculation of 1 ml suspension of the mycelial phase of two Czechoslovak isolates ofEmmonsia crescens Emmons &Jellison 1960, no elements of the parasitic phase — adiaspores were found in the organs of the treated mice. In control groups of the untreated mice, experimental infection developed which was demonstrated by macro- and microscopical controls of organs and by a successful recovery of the agent.