Recovery of Curvularia mold from a duodenoscope after reprocessing in accordance with the manufacturer's cleaning protocol.

In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised protocols for surveillance sampling and cultures of duodenoscopes. We describe the recovery of the mold Curvularia from a duodenoscope processed according to the manufacturer's instructions using this revised sampling process. To our knowledge, this is the first time a mold has been recovered from a duodenoscope after following the Food and Drug Administration/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocol. This suggests that manufacturer's recommendation for scope reprocessing may be insufficient to adequately remove mold from these scopes.

Of poisons and parasites-the defensive role of tetrodotoxin against infections in newts.

Classical research on animal toxicity has focused on the role of toxins in protection against predators, but recent studies suggest these same compounds can offer a powerful defense against parasites and infectious diseases. Newts in the genus Taricha are brightly coloured and contain the potent neurotoxin, tetrodotoxin (TTX), which is hypothesized to have evolved as a defense against vertebrate predators such as garter snakes. However, newt populations often vary dramatically in toxicity, which is only partially explained by predation pressure. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between TTX concentration and infection by parasites. By systematically assessing micro- and macroparasite infections among 345 adult newts (sympatric populations of Taricha granulosa and T. torosa), we detected 18 unique taxa of helminths, fungi, viruses and protozoans. For both newt species, per-host concentrations of TTX, which varied from undetectable to >60 µg/cm2 skin, negatively predicted overall parasite richness as well as the likelihood of infection by the chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, and ranavirus. No such effect was found on infection load among infected hosts. Despite commonly occurring at the same wetlands, T. torosa supported higher parasite richness and average infection load than T. granulosa. Host body size and sex (females > males) tended to positively predict infection levels in both species. For hosts in which we quantified leucocyte profiles, total white blood cell count correlated positively with both parasite richness and total infection load. By coupling data on host toxicity and infection by a broad range of micro- and macroparasites, these results suggest that-alongside its effects on predators-tetrodotoxin may help protect newts against parasitic infections, highlighting the importance of integrative research on animal chemistry, immunological defenses and natural enemy ecology.

Comparative Genomic Analysis of Drechmeria coniospora Reveals Core and Specific Genetic Requirements for Fungal Endoparasitism of Nematodes.

Drechmeria coniospora is an obligate fungal pathogen that infects nematodes via the adhesion of specialized spores to the host cuticle. D. coniospora is frequently found associated with Caenorhabditis elegans in environmental samples. It is used in the study of the nematode's response to fungal infection. Full understanding of this bi-partite interaction requires knowledge of the pathogen's genome, analysis of its gene expression program and a capacity for genetic engineering. The acquisition of all three is reported here. A phylogenetic analysis placed D. coniospora close to the truffle parasite Tolypocladium ophioglossoides, and Hirsutella minnesotensis, another nematophagous fungus. Ascomycete nematopathogenicity is polyphyletic; D. coniospora represents a branch that has not been molecularly characterized. A detailed in silico functional analysis, comparing D. coniospora to 11 fungal species, revealed genes and gene families potentially involved in virulence and showed it to be a highly specialized pathogen. A targeted comparison with nematophagous fungi highlighted D. coniospora-specific genes and a core set of genes associated with nematode parasitism. A comparative gene expression analysis of samples from fungal spores and mycelia, and infected C. elegans, gave a molecular view of the different stages of the D. coniospora lifecycle. Transformation of D. coniospora allowed targeted gene knock-out and the production of fungus that expresses fluorescent reporter genes. It also permitted the initial characterisation of a potential fungal counter-defensive strategy, involving interference with a host antimicrobial mechanism. This high-quality annotated genome for D. coniospora gives insights into the evolution and virulence of nematode-destroying fungi. Coupled with genetic transformation, it opens the way for molecular dissection of D. coniospora physiology, and will allow both sides of the interaction between D. coniospora and C. elegans, as well as the evolutionary arms race that exists between pathogen and host, to be studied.

From the blood to the brain: avenues of eukaryotic pathogen dissemination to the central nervous system.

Infection of the central nervous system (CNS) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, and treatments available to combat the highly debilitating symptoms of CNS infection are limited. The mechanisms by which pathogens in the circulation overcome host immunity and breach the blood-brain barrier are active areas of investigation. In this review, we discuss recent work that has significantly advanced our understanding of the avenues of pathogen dissemination to the CNS for four eukaryotic pathogens of global health importance: Toxoplasma gondii, Plasmodium falciparum, Trypanosoma brucei, and Cryptococcus neoformans. These studies highlight the remarkable diversity of pathogen strategies for trafficking to the brain and will ultimately contribute to an improved ability to combat life-threatening CNS disease.

Analysis of a summary network of co-infection in humans reveals that parasites interact most via shared resources.

Simultaneous infection by multiple parasite species (viruses, bacteria, helminths, protozoa or fungi) is commonplace. Most reports show co-infected humans to have worse health than those with single infections. However, we have little understanding of how co-infecting parasites interact within human hosts. We used data from over 300 published studies to construct a network that offers the first broad indications of how groups of co-infecting parasites tend to interact. The network had three levels comprising parasites, the resources they consume and the immune responses they elicit, connected by potential, observed and experimentally proved links. Pairs of parasite species had most potential to interact indirectly through shared resources, rather than through immune responses or other parasites. In addition, the network comprised 10 tightly knit groups, eight of which were associated with particular body parts, and seven of which were dominated by parasite-resource links. Reported co-infection in humans is therefore structured by physical location within the body, with bottom-up, resource-mediated processes most often influencing how, where and which co-infecting parasites interact. The many indirect interactions show how treating an infection could affect other infections in co-infected patients, but the compartmentalized structure of the network will limit how far these indirect effects are likely to spread.

Clinicopathological features and the practice of diagnosing infectious cutaneous granulomas in Egypt.

OBJECTIVE: To present the clinicopathological features and the practice of diagnosing infectious cutaneous granulomas in Egypt. METHODS: This study included all cases diagnosed with infectious cutaneous granuloma during the period 2004-2010 at Al-Hussein University Hospital, Cairo. Clinical and histological features were recorded, along with the positivity rate (PR) for each diagnostic method. RESULTS: This study included 233 cases (150 males and 83 females) with a mean age of 47 years. Three groups of infection were recorded: bacterial infections (73.8% Mycobacterium and 3.9% non-Mycobacterium), parasitic infestations (16.7%), and deep fungal infections (5.6%). Tuberculosis cases formed the largest granuloma group (40.8%), followed by leprosy (31.7%) and leishmaniasis (15.9%). A total of 36 cases were diagnosed by direct smear (PR 15.5%), 61 cases by skin biopsy (PR 31.0%), 84 cases by intradermal test (PR 63.6%), 26 cases by serological tests (PR 60.5%), 18 cases by tissue culture (PR 69.2%), and eight cases by PCR (PR 100%). CONCLUSIONS: Mycobacterial infections constitute the most common infectious cutaneous granulomas among Egyptians. Routine methods such as direct smear, skin biopsy, and intradermal tests remain the most commonly applied and economical methods for diagnosis in developing countries, although specific methods such as tissue culture and PCR have higher positivity rates in the diagnosis.

[Transformation of the fungus Paecilomyces variotii and the causes of host cell lysis at the boundary with a fungal mycelium-containing Echinococcus capsule].

Experiments were carried out on animal species. The experiments used 30-day chicks, 80 rats, and 70 rabbits. Three hundred and twenty-nine patients with echinococcus complicated by paecilomycosis were meticulously examined. The fungi of the genus Paecilomyces undergo two transformation directions: the saprotrophic mycelial form of the fungus Paecilomyces variotii transforms to the tissue parasitic one as a globular form of spherules that transforms to the mycelial form in larval Echinococcus infection because the cyst capsule is a favorable environment for growth of fungal mycelia. The growth and aggressiveness of larval Echinococcus in the human lung are associated with the fact that fungal mycelial fibrous tunic contains Paecilomyces that have been first used to isolate active hyaluronidase that lyses host cells. Pulmonary echinococcosis complicated by the tissue form of paecilomycosis can be complicated by the mycelial form of the fungus of the genus Paecilomyces, by afflicting the nails and skin of patients, which requires particular treatment after surgery for hydatid disease. The chicks that had been brooded in an incubator and grown under special conditions to rule out fungal infection were first contaminated with the fungal mycelium labeled with methionine, sodium sulfate, sodium phosphate, or iodine. Each chick received 0.5 g of the labeled fungal mycelium. Regardless of the contamination mode, all the chicks from 3 groups were infected with Paecilomyces; the spherules exhibited labeled isotopes. Thus, it has been first conclusively proven that the diagnosis of paecilomycosis based on the blood detection of fungal globular spherules is valid and easy-to-use in any health care facility.

Entomopathogenic fungi recorded from the harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis.

Entomopathogenic fungi were recorded from field samples of the harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis, an invasive coccinellid that has recently arrived in Denmark. Larvae, pupae and adults were found to be infected by Isaria farinosa, Beauveria bassiana and species of Lecanicillium. This is the first record of entomopathogenic fungi infecting larvae and pupae. Winter mortality due to fungal infection reached 17.9% in adults collected at one location. The larval stage was most susceptible to fungal infection, as confirmed through bioassay with I. farinosa.

Multiple infections by the anther smut pathogen are frequent and involve related strains.

Population models of host-parasite interactions predict that when different parasite genotypes compete within a host for limited resources, those that exploit the host faster will be selected, leading to an increase in parasite virulence. When parasites sharing a host are related, however, kin selection should lead to more cooperative host exploitation that may involve slower rates of parasite reproduction. Despite their potential importance, studies that assess the prevalence of multiple genotype infections in natural populations remain rare, and studies quantifying the relatedness of parasites occurring together as natural multiple infections are particularly scarce. We investigated multiple infections in natural populations of the systemic fungal plant parasite Microbotryum violaceum, the anther smut of Caryophyllaceae, on its host, Silene latifolia. We found that multiple infections can be extremely frequent, with different fungal genotypes found in different stems of single plants. Multiple infections involved parasite genotypes more closely related than would be expected based upon their genetic diversity or due to spatial substructuring within the parasite populations. Together with previous sequential inoculation experiments, our results suggest that M. violaceum actively excludes divergent competitors while tolerating closely related genotypes. Such an exclusion mechanism might explain why multiple infections were less frequent in populations with the highest genetic diversity, which is at odds with intuitive expectations. Thus, these results demonstrate that genetic diversity can influence the prevalence of multiple infections in nature, which will have important consequences for their optimal levels of virulence. Measuring the occurrence of multiple infections and the relatedness among parasites within hosts in natural populations may be important for understanding the evolutionary dynamics of disease, the consequences of vaccine use, and forces driving the population genetic structure of parasites.

Epiphytic lichen community dynamics in deciduous forests around a phosphorus fertiliser factory in Central Lithuania.

The detailed dynamics of epiphytic lichen communities were observed while studying permanent quadrats in the zone of influence of a phosphorus fertiliser factory in central Lithuania. The most significant changes were induced by several factors: changes in macroenvironment (increase of illumination), bark scaling, succession processes, individual growth characteristics of the community members, and influence of fungal infection and invertebrate grazing. None of these changes could be directly linked with air pollution. These observations have shown that in conditions of more or less stable pollution, epiphytic community dynamics should be evaluated with care, the best indicators of the characteristics of the communities being species richness and presence/absence and abundance of indicator (nitrophilous or acidophilous) species.

Infection of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae with the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae reduces blood feeding and fecundity.

The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae is being considered as a biocontrol agent against adult African malaria vectors. In addition to causing significant mortality, this pathogen is known to cause reductions in feeding and fecundity in a range of insects. In the present study we investigated whether infection with M. anisopliae affected blood feeding and fecundity of adult female malaria vectors Anopheles gambiae Giles sensu stricto. Mosquitoes were contaminated with either a low or a moderately high dose of oil-formulated conidia of M. anisopliae, and offered a single human blood meal 48, 72, or 96 h later to assess feeding propensity and individual blood meal size. In a second experiment, individual fungus-infected females were offered a blood meal every third day (to a total of 8 gonotrophic cycles), and allowed to oviposit after each cycle in order to quantify feeding propensity and fecundity. Infected females took smaller blood meals and displayed reduced feeding propensity. It was found that mosquitoes, inoculated with a moderately high dose of fungal conidia, exhibited reduced appetite related to increasing fungal growth. Of the fungus-infected females, the proportion of mosquitoes taking the second blood meal was reduced with 51%. This was further reduced to 35.3% by the 4th blood meal. During 8 feeding opportunities, the average number of blood meals taken by uninfected females was 4.39, against 3.40 (low dose), and 2.07 (high dose) blood meals for the fungus-infected females. Moreover, infected females produced fewer eggs per gonotrophic cycle and had a lower life-time fecundity. Epidemiological models show that both blood feeding and fecundity are among the most important factors affecting the likelihood of a mosquito transmitting malaria, which suggests that this fungus may have potential as biocontrol agent for vector-borne disease control.

New bioassay method to assess the pathogenicity of Colombian strains of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorokin and Paecilomyces sp. (Deuteromycotina: Hyphomycetes) against the subterranean burrower bug Cyrtomenus bergi Froeschner (Hemiptera: Cydnidae).

Using a new sand bioassay method, the pathogenicity of three Colombian strains of Metarhizium anisopliae (i.e., CIAT 224, 245, and 230) and one strain of Paecilomyces sp. (CIAT 308) were tested against fourth instars of the subterranean burrower bug Cyrtomenus bergi Froeschner (Hem.: Cydnidae) in the laboratory. The proposed bioassay simulates the habitat of C. bergi and at the same time enables the evaluation of a large number of insects in a short period of time and under controlled conditions. All tested fungal species/strains were pathogenic against C. bergi. However, only low levels of mortality were obtained, and never exceeded 55%. In the screening experiment, M. anisopliae strains CIAT 224 and CIAT 245 caused the highest levels of mortality. The use of the bioassay procedure described herein is discussed.

[Characteristics of phenotypic specific and intraspecific features of fungal strains isolated from the organ ontocenoses in patients after renal transplantation]. / Charakterystyka cech fenotypowych gatunkowych i wewnatrzgatunkowych szczepów grzybów wyodrebnionych z wybranych ontocenoz narzadowych osób po przeszczepach nerek.

Characteristics of phenotypic specific and intraspecific features of fungal strains isolated from the organ ontocenoses in patients after renal transplantation. The aim of present study was to describe 60 specific and intraspecific features of fungal strains isolated from the organ ontocenoses: oral cavity, rectum and genital organs in 32 patients undergoing permanent immunosupression after renal transplantation. Fungal strains identified using API 20 C and API 20 C AUX (bioMérieux). The activity of 19 hydrolases was investigated using API ZYM. Among 41 strains of fungi the following were found: Candida albicans (31 strains), C. glabrata (5), C. guilliermondii (2), C. krusei (2) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (1). The number of fungal strains isolated from the oral cavity was the highest (21), less numerous from rectum (12) and the least from the genital organs (8). The enzymograms were described for all strains and the highest activity was noted in case of: e6 - leucine arylamidase, e11 - phosphatase acid, e3 - esterase (C4), e12 - naphtol-AS-BI-phosphohydrolase. The activity of these enzymes is connected with higher pathogenicity of C. albicans strains.

Esporotricosis cutanea en el departamento de Santa Cruz-Bolivia / Esporotricosis skin in the district Santa Cruz Cruz Bolivia

Se presentan 4 casos de esporotricosis cutanea, 3 del sexo masculino y 1 del femenino, con lesiones verrugosas en 3 y 1 ulcerada, localizadas 2 en extremidades superior y dos en inferiores. Todos ellos con antecedentes de traumatismos en el inicio de sus lesiones, con un termino de evolucion variable (2 meses, 10 anos). El resultado histopatologico fue compatible en los 4 casos y confirmados por el cultivo micologico. El examen directo coloreado por el metodo Gram fue de gran utilidad en 3 de los 4 casos, ya que en ellos se visualizo el organismo gram positivo, se sugiere una evaluacion de la sensibilidad de este examen.