Abstract
The mold Fusarium is a ubiquitous fungus causing plant, animal and human infections. In humans, Fusarium spp. are the major cause of eye infections in patients wearing contact lenses or after local trauma. Systemic infections by Fusarium spp. mainly occur in immunosuppressed patients and can disseminate throughout the human body. Due to high levels of resistance to antifungals a fast identification of the causative agent is an urgent need. By using a probe-based real-time PCR assay specific for the genus Fusarium we analysed several different clinical specimens detecting Fusarium spp. commonly found in clinical samples in Germany. Also, a large collection of lung fluid samples of haematological patients was analysed (n = 243). In these, two samples (0.8%) were reproducibly positive, but only one could be confirmed by sequencing. For this case of probable invasive fungal disease (IFD) culture was positive for Fusarium species. Here we describe a rapid, probe-based real-time PCR assay to specifically detect DNA from a broad range of Fusarium species and its application to clinically relevant specimens.
Highlights
The mold Fusarium is a ubiquitous fungus well known as a plant pathogen and mycotoxin producer [1]
Invasive fusariosis is a life-threatening invasive fungal disease (IFD) with poor outcome that mostly occurs in immunocompromised patients [5]
In 20 eluates comprising a variety of Fusarium spp., DNA of the genus
Summary
The mold Fusarium is a ubiquitous fungus well known as a plant pathogen and mycotoxin producer [1]. There are more than 300 phylogenetically distinct species known [2]. At least 70 are involved in invasive fusariosis. The Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) is responsible for the most fusariosis cases [3,4], followed by other complexes causing human infections (Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC), Fusarium dimerum species complex (FDSC), Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC; known as Gibberella fujikuroi species complex GFSC), and Fusarium. J. Fungi 2019, 5, 105; doi:10.3390/jof5040105 www.mdpi.com/journal/jof. J. Fungi 2019, 5, 105 incarnatum–Fusarium equiseti species complex (FIESC)) [3]. Invasive fusariosis is a life-threatening invasive fungal disease (IFD) with poor outcome that mostly occurs in immunocompromised patients [5]
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