Specific Detection of Bjerkandera adusta by Polymerase Chain Reaction and Its Incidence in Fungus-Associated Chronic Cough

Chronic cough is a common symptom at outpatient care. An uncontrollable cough with difficulty in treatment is called chronic idiopathic cough. Recent reports have demonstrated that the presence of basidiomycetous fungi in sputum is an important clinical finding that assists in clarifying the cause of chronic cough in some cases. Research has suggested that Bjerkandera adusta is related to fungus-associated chronic cough (FACC). FACC is defined as a chronic cough associated with basidiomycetous fungi found in induced sputum and can be treated with antifungal medication. B. adusta is one of the basidiomycetous fungi that exist in cosmopolitan environments. The aim of this study was to develop a B. adusta detection method using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with a specific primer set and to research the incidence of B. adusta in FACC. The new method successfully detected B. adusta from FACC patients. The incidence of B. adusta in FACC was 42.86 %. Antifungal drugs were effective in most cases. Significant differences in treatment duration between B. adusta patients and non-B. adusta patients were observed. It is therefore suggested that the presence of B. adusta may be one of the allergic intractable factors of chronic cough. This finding may provide identifiable differences in clinical manifestations between B. adusta and non-B. adusta in FACC and lead to possible differing remedies to treat the two forms. PCR can specifically detect B. adusta from patients suffering from chronic cough and provides a new diagnosis for FACC associated with B. adusta.     

Tinea capitis in adults in southern Spain. A 17-year epidemiological study

BackgroundTinea capitis is an infection of the hair due to keratinophilic fungi, known as dermatophytes. Although the disease is common in children, several studies have also shown that it is far from unusual in adults, especially in post-menopausal women and immunocompromised persons.AimsTo determine the incidence of tinea capitis in adults in our area, as well as the predisposing factors (gender, immunity), and causative species.Materials and methodsA retrospective study was conducted over a period of 17 years, from 1995 to 2011, collecting data on cases of tinea capitis diagnosed in our dermatology department. Information collected for all patients included age, gender, location of the lesions, results of direct examination and culture, immune status, cause of immunosuppression, and the prescribed treatment.ResultsThirty-three cases (11.4%) out of 289 cases of tinea capitis occurred in adults. Most of these adults (72%) were immunocompetent, and the rest were immunocompromised for different reasons. Three of the patients were men and 30 women, with 70% of the latter being post-menopausal. Trichophyton species were isolated in 76% of these adult patients, with Trichophyton violaceum being the most common. Treatment with oral terbinafine was successful in all these cases. Microsporum species were responsible for the other cases, all treated successfully with oral griseofulvin.ConclusionsThis series of tinea capitis in adults is one of the largest to date. It shows that tinea capitis is not uncommon among the immunocompetent adult population. In our geographical area, except for prepubescent patients, most cases affecting the adult population were caused by species of the genus Trichophyton. In these cases the treatment of choice was oral terbinafine, which considerably shortened the treatment time, and was associated with fewer side effects than the classical griseofulvin.     

Five Years Experience of Clostridium difficile Infection in Children at a UK Tertiary Hospital: Proposed Criteria for Diagnosis and Management

Background

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in adults. There is increasing evidence of the pathogenic role of C. difficile in the paediatric population. We sought to ascertain the clinical presentation and severity of CDI in children at our institution and develop criteria to aid management.

Methods

Clinical data was retrospectively collected from all children (0–16 yrs) with a positive C. difficile toxin result over a 5-year period. National adult guidelines were used to assess the severity and management of CDI.

Results

Seventy-five patients were included with a mean age of 2.97 years. Forty-nine were hospital onset, 22 community onset and 4 healthcare-associated. The most common co-morbidity among the hospital onset infections was malignancy. Gastrointestinal conditions were most common among community onset infections. Fifty-five cases (73.3%) had received antibiotics in the preceding month, 7 (9.3%) had cow’s milk intolerance and 9 (12%) had co-infection with another gut pathogen. According to national adult guidelines 57 cases (76%) were categorised as severe. Thirty cases received oral metronidazole, two patients required intensive care and one patient had a sub-total colectomy for pseudomembranous colitis. No mortality was observed.

Discussion

We confirm the association of paediatric CDI with co-morbidities such as haematological and solid organ malignancies, recent antibiotic use and hospitalisation. We observed an association between cows milk protein intolerance and C. difficile. The use of adult criteria overestimated severity of disease in this cohort, as most cases experienced a mild course of illness with low morbidity and no mortality. This indicates that adult scoring criteria are not useful in guiding management and we propose specific criteria for children.     

Frequency and aetiology of dermatophytosis in children age 12 and under in the state of Amazonas,Brazil

BackgroundFew scientific studies have evaluated dermatophytosis among children in the state of Amazonas or in the greater northern region of Brazil.AimsThe aim of this study was to research the frequency and aetiology of dermatophytosis in children age 12 and under, who were seen between March 1996 and November 2005 at the Mycology Laboratory of the National Institute of Amazonian Research.MethodsFor mycological diagnoses, epidermal scales and/or hairs were used. A portion of this material was treated with potassium hydroxide for direct examination, and another portion was cultivated in Mycobiotic Agar for the isolation of dermatophytes.ResultsOf the 590 samples analysed, 210 showed positive diagnoses by direct examination and cultivation. Tinea capitis (153 cases) was the most frequent type of dermatophytosis, and Trichophyton tonsurans (121 cases) was the most frequently isolated fungal agent. Tinea corporis was observed in 48 cases where the most frequently isolated fungal agent was also T. tonsurans (17 cases), and the corporal regions most affected were the face, arms and trunk. The laboratory confirmed tinea pedis in 6 cases, and the principal fungal agents isolated were Trichophyton rubrum (3) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (3). The presence of tinea cruris was confirmed in 3 cases, and T. rubrum, T. tonsurans and Epidermophyton floccosum were isolated from these cases.ConclusionsThe children examined were primarily affected by tinea capitis, and the main fungal agent for this dermatophytosis was T. tonsurans.     

Variation in Mycorrhizal Associations with Tulasnelloid Fungi among Populations of Five Dactylorhiza Species

Background

Orchid species rely on mycorrhizal symbioses with fungi to complete their life cycle. Although there is mounting evidence that orchids can associate with several fungi from different clades or families, less is known about the actual geographic distribution of these fungi and how they are distributed across different orchid species within a genus.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We investigated among-population variation in mycorrhizal associations in five species of the genus Dactylorhiza (D. fuchsii, D. incarnata, D. maculata, D. majalis and D. praetermissa) using culture-independent detection and identification techniques enabling simultaneous detection of multiple fungi in a single individual. Mycorrhizal specificity, determined as the number of fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs), and phylogenetic diversity of fungi were compared between species, whereas discriminant analysis was used to compare mycorrhizal spectra across populations and species. Based on a 95% cut-off value in internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence similarity, a total of ten OTUs was identified belonging to three different clades within the Tulasnellaceae. Most OTUs were found in two or more Dactylorhiza species, and some of them were common and widespread, occurring in more than 50% of all sampled populations. Each orchid species associated with at least five different OTUs, whereas most individuals also associated with two or more fungal OTUs at the same time. Phylogenetic diversity, corrected for species richness, was not significantly different between species, confirming the generality of the observed orchid mycorrhizal associations.

Conclusions/Significance

We found that the investigated species of the genus Dactylorhiza associated with a wide range of fungal OTUs from the Tulasnellaceae, some of which were widespread and common. These findings challenge the idea that orchid rarity is related to mycorrhizal specificity and fungal distribution.     

Primary Cutaneous Mucormycosis Caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhizopus oryzae</Emphasis>: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Mucormycosis is an invasive infection caused by opportunistic fungi. Rhizopus, Lichtheimia, Mucor and Rhizomucor are the most common isolated genera. Primary cutaneous mucormycosis is usually related to traumatic injuries, but immunocompromised cases are associated with underlying conditions such as diabetes mellitus and malignancies. The treatment of choice is surgical debridement and liposomal amphotericin B. We present a 40-year-old male with fever and a painful necrotic lesion on the middle back and history of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. Rhizopus oryzae was isolated and identified using an internal transcribed spacer regions ITS1 and ITS2. An initial good response to treatment was observed; however, 7 days later a diabetic ketoacidosis due to poor adherence to treatment caused a lethal outcome.     

Characterization and Genetic Study of the Ovine α S2 -Casein (CSN1S2) Allele B

An interesting and quite complex protein pattern has been described at ovine milk proteins but the genetic control of the variation observed was assessed only in few cases. The aim of this work was to characterize the ovine α _s2 -casein (CSN1S2) B variant, first observed in the Italian Gentile di Puglia, a fine-wooled ovine breed, and to investigate its occurrence in two further breeds, the Sarda and Camosciata, which are the most widespread dairy breeds in Italy. The B variant differs from the most common form A with two amino acid exchanges: Asp₇₅ → Tyr₇₅ and Ile₁₀₅ → Val₁₀₅. The first substitution, resulting in a loss of a negative charge, is responsible for the higher isoelectric point of the B protein variant, which allows its detection by isoelectric focusing electrophoresis (IEF). The occurrence of CSN1S2*B in Sarda and Comisana was demonstrated. Since the Asp₇₅ → Tyr₇₅ substitution modifies the protein electric charge, milk properties may result affected to some extent.     

Occurrence and coexistence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and dark septate fungi in aquatic macrophytes in a tropical river-floodplain system

In this study, carried out in four water bodies in the Upper Paraná River floodplain, we assessed the occurrence of root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and dark septate fungi (DSF), as well as the AMF species richness associated with 24 species of aquatic macrophytes belonging to different life forms. AMF were found in nine species of macrophytes and DSF in 16 species among the 24 investigated. AM colonization occurred mainly in eudicotiledons (five of the six species evaluated) and the Paris morphology was the most common type. Co-occurrence of AMF and DSF was observed in seven species of macrophytes (Commelinaceae sp. 1, Limnobium laevigatum (H.B.K. ex Willd) Heine, Hygrophila cf. costata, Myriophyllum brasiliense (Camb), Polygonum acuminatum Kunth, P. ferrugineum Wedd and P. stelligerum Cham). Four species of macrophytes (Pistia stratiotes L., Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms, Egeria najas Planch and Nymphaea amazonum Mart. & Zucc) were not colonized by any type of fungi. In total, 27 morphotypes of AMF were recorded, and spores occurred both in the rhizosphere of macrophytes whose roots were internally colonized by AMF and in non-colonized macrophytes. Acaulospora delicata, Acaulospora aff. laevis, Acaulospora longula, Glomus lamellosum, Glomus luteum and NID 1 (a non-identified species) were the most frequent species. Samples collected close to the roots of N. amazonum had the highest AMF richness (20 species), but this plant was not colonized by fungi. A species richness curve indicated that more root-associated fungi than reported here are likely present in this floodplain.     

Distribution of NRPS gene families within the Neotyphodium/Epichloë complex

Neotyphodium and Epichloë spp are closely related asexual and sexual endophytic fungi, respectively, that form mutualistic associations with cool season grasses of the subfamily Pooideae. The endophytes confer a number of advantages to their hosts, but also can cause animal toxicoses and these effects are, in many cases, due to the production of fungal secondary metabolites. In filamentous fungi, secondary metabolite genes are commonly clustered and, for those pathways involved in non-ribosomal peptide synthesis, a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) gene is always found as a key component of the cluster. Members of this gene family encode large multifunctional enzymes that synthesize a diverse range of bioactive compounds and in numerous cases have been shown to serve as pathogenicity or virulence factors, in addition to suggested roles in niche adaptation. We have used a degenerate PCR approach to identify members of the NRPS gene family from symbiotic fungi of the Neotyphodium/Epichloë complex, and have shown that collectively, at least 12 NRPS genes exist within the genomes examined. This suggests that secondary metabolites are important during the life cycles of these fungi with their hosts. Indeed, both the ergovaline and peramine biosynthetic pathways, which confer competitive abilities to Neotyphodium and Epichloë symbioses, contain NRPS genes at their core. The distribution of these genes among different Neotyphodium/Epichloë lineages suggests that a common ancestor contributed most of the complement of NRPS genes, which have been either retained or lost during the evolution of these fungi.     

Co-occurrence patterns of wood-decaying fungi and ants in dead pines of South Korea

Interaction between fungi and insects such as ants, beetles, wasps and termites inhabiting dead pine trees has significant ecological implication in the forest as they can decompose wood debris and add nutrients to the soil; however, only scarce information is available regarding the interaction between wood-decaying fungi and ants. We investigated wood-decaying fungi co-occurring with ants in dead pine trees of South Korea. A total of 57 pairs of wood-decaying fungi and ants were collected from 11 localities. 30 species of wood-decaying fungi and 14 species of ants were identified based on morphology and molecular analysis. Fungal species belonging to Trichaptum, Xylodon, Hyphodontia, and Ceriporia were dominant and co-occurred with common ant species of Lasius, Camponotus, Pristomyrmex, and Crematogaster across most of the sampling sites. This study provides a new baseline in unravelling the complex interaction between wood-decaying fungi and ants in forest ecosystems.     

Qualitative microbiological changes during decomposition of plant material in a sandy sierozem soil

The successive qualitative microbial changes during the decomposition of bajra stalk in a sandy sierozem soil were studied.Alternaria spp.,Aspergillus spp.,Cladosporium spp.,Fusarium spp.Gliocladium spp.,Mucor spp. andRhizopus spp. were most common fungi. The bacteria observed wereAchromobacter, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Micrococcus, Pseudomonas andXanthomonas. Cellvibrio andCellulomonas were also observed.     

Gender Differences in Patients with Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: Multi-Center Registry from Tokyo CCU Network

Background

The clinical features of gender differences in takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) remain to be determined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in clinical characteristics of male and female patients with TC.

Methods

We obtained the clinical information of 368 patients diagnosed with TC (84 male, 284 female) from the Tokyo CCU Network database collected from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2012; the Network is comprised of 71 cardiovascular centers in the Tokyo (Japan) metropolitan area. We attempted to characterize clinical differences during hospitalization, comparing male and female patients with TC.

Results

There were no significant differences in apical ballooning type, median echocardiography ejection fraction, serious ventricular arrhythmias (such as ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation), or cardiovascular death between male and female patients. Male patients were younger than female patients (median age at hospitalization for male patients was 72 years vs. 76 years for female patients; p = 0.040). Prior physical stress was more common in male than female patients (50.0% vs.31.3%; p = 0.002), while emotional stress was more common in female patients (19.0% vs. 31.0%; p = 0.039). Severe pump failure (defined as Killip Class > III) (20.2% vs. 10.6%; p = 0.020) and cardiopulmonary supportive therapies (28.6% vs. 12.7%, p < 0.001) were more common in male than female patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that male gender (odds ratio = 4.32, 95% CI = 1.41–13.6, p = 0.011) was an independent predictor of adverse composite cardiac events, including cardiovascular death, severe pump failure, and serious ventricular arrhythmia.

Conclusions

Cardiac complications in our dataset appeared to be more common in male than female patients with TC during their hospitalization. Further investigation is required to clarify the underlying mechanisms responsible for the observed gender differences.     

Diversity of coelomycetous fungi in human infections: A 10-y experience of two European reference centres

The coelomycetous fungi are difficult to properly identify from their phenotypic characterization and their role as etiologic agents of human infections is not clear. We studied the species distribution of these fungi among clinical isolates that had been collected and stored over a ten-year period in two European reference laboratories (France and Spain). We identified phenotypically and molecularly 97 isolates by sequencing the D1-D2 fragment of the 28S nrRNA (LSU) gene and we provided the in vitro antifungal susceptibility pattern of seven antifungals against 46 isolates. Species of the orders Pleosporales and Glomerellales were present in both collections, and Botryosphaeriales and Diaporthales only in the French one. The most prevalent species were Medicopsis romeroi, Neocucurbitaria keratinophila, Neocucurbitaria unguis-hominis and Paraconiothyrium cyclothyrioides, which had been recovered primarily from superficial tissues. The Didymellaceae was the most common family represented, with 27 isolates distributed into five genera. Most of the isolates tested were susceptible to antifungals, and only the geometric mean (GM) and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of itraconazole and caspofungin had higher values. This study provides a good picture of the great diversity of coelomycetous fungi in the European clinical context, and the basis for future studies on this interesting but neglected group of fungi.     

Detection of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spores in the air across different biomes and ecoregions

Aerial dispersal of fungal spores is common, but the role of wind and air movement in dispersal of spores of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is largely unknown. Several studies have examined the possibility of AM fungal spores being moved by wind vectors without observing spores taken from the air environment. For the first time this study observed the presence of AM fungal spores in the air. The frequency of AM fungal spores in the air was determined in six North American biomes composed of 18 ecoregions. Multiple samples were taken from both the air and the soil at each location. AM fungal spores were found in high abundance in the soil (hundreds of spores per gram of soil), however, they were rarely found in the air (most samples contained no AM fungal spores). Furthermore, only the Glomus morphotype was found in the air, whereas spores in the soil were taxomomically more diverse (Glomus, Acaulospora, Gigaspora, Scutellospora morphotypes were observed). The proportion of Glomus spores in the air relative to Glomus spores in the soil was highest in more arid systems, indicating that AM fungi may be more likely to be dispersed in the air in such systems. Nonetheless, the results indicate that the air is not likely a dominant mode of dispersal for AM fungi.     

In vitro saprotrophic basidiomycetes tolerance to pendimethalin

Pendimethalin is a dinitroaniline herbicide classified among the persistent-bioaccumulative toxics. In this paper, the tolerance to this herbicide has been studied in isolates of basidiomycetes (10 species including 9 wood-rotting and 1 litter fungi), collected in different areas of the Campania region (South Italy). The isolates were grown on two different agar media, rich and poor for the presence/absence of dextrose and NH₄NO₃, and amended with 0, 100 and 500 ppm herbicide. The mycelial growth was recorded daily, and statistical analysis of fungal growth rates, determined via linear regression, allowed us to compare the hyphal extension of various macrofungi in presence of herbicide. These data represent the adaptation capacity of the fungal organisms to the peculiar environmental situation. In amended agar, all fungi exhibited a certain tolerance to pendimethalin and, normally, the fungal growth decreased with the increasing of pollutant concentration. Nevertheless, in some cases, the difference of ground reflected the different agar media. In fact, the growth of Agrocybe aegerita, in rich agar decreased with the increase of herbicide dose, while in poor agar it increased with the pollutant. Among the examined fungi, A. aegerita was the species which resulted the most tolerant to herbicide, showing growth to about 70% of the control to the highest concentrations of pollutant and for the two different agar media.Scientific relevance of the paperNo published report is available regarding pendimethalin herbicide biodegradation with basidiomycetes; therefore this work represented the first and preliminary investigation as regards. It's directed to determine the fungal tolerance to the pollutant.     

Revisiting the host effect on ectomycorrhizal fungal communities: implications from host–fungal associations in relict Pseudotsuga japonica forests

Host identity is among the most important factors in structuring ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal communities. Both host–fungal coevolution and host shifts can account for the observed host effect, but their relative significance in ECM fungal communities is not well understood. To investigate these two host-related mechanisms, we used relict forests of Pseudotsuga japonica, which is an endangered endemic species in Japan. As with other Asian Pseudotsuga species, P. japonica has been isolated from North American Pseudotsuga spp. since the Oligocene and has evolved independently as a warm-temperate species. We collected 100 soil samples from four major localities in which P. japonica was mixed with other conifers and broadleaf trees. ECM tips in the soil samples were subjected to molecular analyses to identify both ECM fungi and host species. While 136 ECM fungal species were identified in total, their communities were significantly different between host groups, confirming the existence of the host effect on ECM fungal communities. None of the 68 ECM fungal species found on P. japonica belonged to Pseudotsuga-specific lineages (e.g., Rhizopogon and Suillus subgroups) that are common in North America. Most of ECM fungi on P. japonica were shared with other host fungi or phylogenetically close to known ECM fungi on other hosts in Asia. These results suggest that after migrating, Pseudotsuga-specific fungal lineages may have become extinct in small isolated populations in Japan. Instead, most of the ECM fungal symbionts on P. japonica likely originated from host shifts in the region.     

Differences in crystalline cellulose modification due to degradation by brown and white rot fungi

Wood-decaying basidiomycetes are some of the most effective bioconverters of lignocellulose in nature, however the way they alter wood crystalline cellulose on a molecular level is still not well understood. To address this, we examined and compared changes in wood undergoing decay by two species of brown rot fungi, Gloeophyllum trabeum and Meruliporia incrassata, and two species of white rot fungi, Irpex lacteus and Pycnoporus sanguineus, using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and ¹³C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The overall percent crystallinity in wood undergoing decay by M. incrassata, G. trabeum, and I. lacteus appeared to decrease according to the stage of decay, while in wood decayed by P. sanguineus the crystallinity was found to increase during some stages of degradation. This result is suggested to be potentially due to the different decay strategies employed by these fungi. The average spacing between the 200 cellulose crystal planes was significantly decreased in wood degraded by brown rot, whereas changes observed in wood degraded by the two white rot fungi examined varied according to the selectivity for lignin. The conclusions were supported by a quantitative analysis of the structural components in the wood before and during decay confirming the distinct differences observed for brown and white rot fungi. The results from this study were consistent with differences in degradation methods previously reported among fungal species, specifically more non-enzymatic degradation in brown rot versus more enzymatic degradation in white rot.     

Alkalitolerant micromycetes in acidic and neutral soils of the temperate zone

A wide diversity of micromycetes from various taxonomic groups in acidic and neutral soils is known from the literature data. In the present work, the fungi isolated from these soils and capable of growth at high pH are analyzed. The fungi were isolated from acidic sod-podzol and neutral cultivated soils by plating on alkaline agar (pH 10.0–10.5). Their identification was carried out using morphological, cultural, and molecular genetic criteria. Phylogenetic analysis was performed and the rates of linear growth within a broad pH range (4.0–10.4) were determined. The isolates represented a polyphyletic group of ascomycetes (Sordariomycetes), which included members of Plectosphaerellaceae (5 species) and various families of Hypocreales (4 species). The most common species were Gibellulopsis nigrescens, Acrostalagmus luteoalbus, Chordomyces antarcticum, and Plectosphaerella spp. Investigation of fungal growth at different pH values revealed all isolates to be alkalitolerant, with no alkaliphilic fungi isolated from acidic sod-podzol and neutral cultivated soils. Although the group of isolates was polyphyletic and its members originated from different ecological and trophic niches, most alkalitolerant isolates exhibited common morphological traits with acremonium- and verticillium-like conidial spore formation, abundant slime formation, and a tendency for aggregation of their mycelium in bundles. Our research confirmed the presence of fungi with alkalitolerant adaptation to external pH in the sod-podzolic and cultivated soils of the Moscow region.     

Progress in Definition,Prevention and Treatment of Fungal Infections in Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a chronic lethal multi-system condition; however, most of the morbidity and mortality is dependent on the status of the respiratory system. Progressive respiratory decline is mediated by chronic infection and inflammation, punctuated by important acute events known as pulmonary exacerbations which can lead to accelerated decline. The main bacterial species causing infections include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae and Achromobacter xylosoxidans. In addition to bacteria, fungi are detected in a significant number of patients. The impact of fungal colonization of the airways is still not completely elucidated, but an increasing body of evidence suggests an important role for moulds and yeasts. Although fungal infections are rare, fungi can cause severe pneumonia requiring appropriate targeted treatment. The most common fungi in respiratory samples of patients with CF are Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terreus and Scedosporium species for filamentous fungi, and yeasts such as Candida albicans and Candida glabrata. Therapeutic strategies depend on the detected fungus and the underlying clinical status of the patient. The antifungal therapy can range from a simple monotherapy up to a combination of three different drugs. Treatment course may be indicated in some patients for two weeks and in others for up to six months, and in rare cases even longer. New antifungal drugs have been developed and are being tested in clinical studies offering the hope of therapeutic alternatives to existing drugs. Identifying relevant risk factors and diagnostic criteria for fungal colonization and infection is crucial to enabling an adequate prevention, diagnosis and treatment.     

Psychrophilic and Mesophilic Fungi in Fruit-Filled Pastries

Surveys of the mold flora of frozen blueberry and cherry pastries were undertaken. Molds were enumerated by preparing pour plates of the blended product and incubating the plates at 0, 5, 10, and 20 C. In this manner, the total fungal content of the product could be ascertained from the 10 and 20 C plates, and the psychrophilic fungal population was represented by those fungi which grew at 0 and 5 C. The pastry portion, or crust, of the blueberry material was sampled separately from the filling portion. Certain differences in fungal flora were apparent. Aureobasidium pullulans was the dominant fungus in crust at all temperatures of isolation. However, Penicillium thomii proved to be the most common mesophilic fungus in the filling portion, and A. pullulans was the most common psychrophile in the filling. Aspergilli were quite common in the crust, but, in general, were absent from the fruit filling. Cherry pastries had a much smaller total fungal flora than did the blueberry product. However, A. pullulans again was the most prevalent fungus in cherry pastries at all temperatures of isolation. Certain differences in fungal flora were apparent in the two fruit products. Phoma spp. were almost completely absent in blueberries, but represented the second most common fungus in cherry pastries. Blueberry filling had 440 psychrophilic fungi per gram of sample (at 0 C), blueberry crust had 65 per gram, and cherry pastries had 77 per gram.