Fungal infections

Patients with burn injury and inhalation injury are highly susceptible to infectious complications, including opportunistic pathogens, due to the loss of skin cover and mucosal damage of respiratory tract as well as the disruption of homeostasis. This case report, a 34-year-old man suffered critical burns, provides the first literature description of triple-impact immunoparalysis (critical burns, inhalation injury, and SARS-CoV-2 infection), leading to a lethal multifocal infection caused by several fungi including very rare environmental representatives Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Wickerhamomyces anomalus...

UNLABELLED: Acylhydrazone (AH) derivatives represent a novel category of anti-fungal medications that exhibit potent activity against Sporothrix sp., both in vitro and in a murine model of sporotrichosis. In this study, we demonstrated the anti-fungal efficacy of the AH derivative D13 [4-bromo- N '-(3,5-dibromo-2-hydroxybenzylidene)-benzohydrazide] against both planktonic cells and biofilms formed by Sporothrix brasiliensis . In a clinical study, the effect of D13 was then tested in combination with itraconazole (ITC), with or without potassium iodide, in 10 cats with sporotrichosis refractory to the treatment of standard of care with ITC...

The intestinal microbiome harbors fungi that pose a significant risk to human health as opportunistic pathogens and drivers of inflammation. Inflammatory and autoimmune diseases are associated with dysbiotic fungal communities and the expansion of potentially pathogenic fungi. The gut is also the main reservoir for disseminated fungal infections. Immune interactions are critical for preventing commensal fungi from becoming pathogenic. Significant strides have been made in defining innate and adaptive immune pathways that regulate intestinal fungi, and these discoveries have coincided with advancements in our understanding of the fungal molecular pathways and effectors involved in both commensal colonization and pathogenesis within the gut...

Rare human pathogens are infrequently observed clinically but can lead to undiagnosed infections, delays in treatment, severe complications, including death. Traditional diagnostic tools cannot routinely detect rare infections in public health settings. This study focuses on the incidence and outcomes of rare pathogenic microorganisms over 13 years (2010-2022) using PubMed database to obtain epidemiological data on rare bacterial, parasitic, and fungal infections in hospitals throughout India. A total of 974 articles were screened using case studies, datasets, comments, classical articles, letters, editorials, observational studies, and meta-analyses...

BACKGROUND: High-alert medication (HAM) is more predictable to cause significant harm to the patient, even when used as intended. The damage related to the HAM lead not only suffering to the patient, but also raise the additional costs associated with care. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the incidence of drug-related adverse events related to the use of high-alert medications. METHODS: It was conducted an active search for information through COCHRANE databases, LILACS, SciELO, SCOPUS, PubMed/MEDLINE and WEB OF SCIENCE...

Secondary metabolites produced by primary producers have a wide range of functions as well as indirect effects outside the scope of their direct target. Research suggests that protease inhibitors produced by cyanobacteria influence grazing by herbivores and may also protect against parasites of cyanobacteria. In this study, we asked whether those same protease inhibitors produced by cyanobacteria could also influence the interactions of herbivores with their parasites. We used the Daphnia - Metschnikowia zooplankton host-fungal parasite system to address this question because it is well documented that cyanobacteria protease inhibitors suppress trypsin and chymotrypsin in the gut of Daphnia , and because it is known that Metschnikowia infects via the gut...

INTRODUCTION: Dimorphic fungi cause infection following the inhalation of spores into the pulmonary system. In the lower respiratory tract, the conidia transform into yeasts, which are engulfed by alveolar macrophages and may be destroyed without disease manifestation. However, in some immunocompromised individuals, they may persist and cause active fungal disease characterized by formation of granulomas in the infected tissues, which may mimic Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of pulmonary dimorphic fungal infections among HIV/AIDS patients with non-TB chronic cough at Mulago National Referral and Teaching Hospital in Kampala, Uganda...

Pseudomycetomas are rare fungal subcutaneous infections caused by dermatophytes, which are mainly observed in immunocompromised patients. Mycobacterium genavense is considered an opportunistic pathogen in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), clinically resembling the presentation of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). Here, we describe the case of a 26-year-old PLWHA with a 3-month history of a 4cm tumoral, duroelastic and painful lesion located on the back. Histopathology of the tumoral lesion revealed chronic granulomatous inflammation with grains composed of PAS-positive and Grocott-positive septate hyphae, as well as acid-fast bacilli (AFB)...

Diagnostic delay leads to poor outcomes in infections, and it occurs more often when the causative agent is unusual. Delays are attributable to failing to consider such diagnoses in a timely fashion. Using routinely collected electronic health record (EHR) data, we built a preliminary multivariable diagnostic model for early identification of unusual fungal infections and tuberculosis in hospitalized patients. We conducted a two-gate case-control study. Cases encompassed adult patients admitted to 19 Mayo Clinic enterprise hospitals between January 2010 and March 2023 diagnosed with blastomycosis, cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, mucormycosis, pneumocystosis, or tuberculosis...

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections, posing significant public health challenges due to increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This study aims to assess the prevalence, demographic characteristics, microbial profile, and antimicrobial resistance patterns in Indian patients with UTIs admitted to intensive care unit. A total of 154 patients with positive UTIs were included in this cross-sectional study. The prevalence data including demographics, microbial isolates, and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were collected...

To obtain the collaborative antifungal potential of nanocomposites conjugated with graphene oxide (GO), a combination of GO with chitosan (CS/GO) and GO with chitosan (CS) and polyaniline (PANI/CS/GO) was carried out. The synthesized GO-nanocomposites were recognized by several techniques. Vanillin (Van.) and cinnamaldehyde (Cinn.) were loaded on the prepared nanocomposites as antioxidants through a batch adsorption process. In vitro release study of Van. and Cinn. from the nanocomposites was accomplished at pH 7 and 25°C...

Animal feed is vulnerable to fungal infections, and the use of bio-preserving probiotics has received increasing attention. In contrast to Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria spp., fewer Bacillus spp. have been recognized as antifungal probiotics. Therefore, our objective was to screen antifungal strains and provide more Bacillus candidates to bridge this gap. Here, we screened 56 bacterial strains for cyclic lipopeptide genes and conducted an antifungal assay with Aspergillus niger as a representative fungus...

Oral candidiasis is a fungal infection affecting the oral mucous membrane, and this research specifically addresses on a localized treatment through fluconazole-loaded ibuprofen in situ gel-based oral spray. The low solubility of ibuprofen is advantageous for forming a gel when exposed to an aqueous phase. The 1% w/w fluconazole-loaded in situ gel oral sprays were developed utilizing various concentrations of ibuprofen in N-methyl pyrrolidone. The prepared solutions underwent evaluation for viscosity, surface tension, contact angle, water tolerance, gel formation, interface interaction, drug permeation, and antimicrobial studies...

Lycium chinense Mill is a deciduous broad-leaved shrub belonging to the Solanaceae family and, is widely distributed throughout Korea. This plant is native to, or cultivated for various oriental medicinal purposes in, multiple regions of Asia, including Korea, China, and Japan (Lee 1982; Kim et al. 1994). Eleven Puccinia species have been reported to infect Lycium species (Otálora et al. 2018). In May and October 2022, symptoms of rust disease caused by Puccinia sp. were observed on almost all the leaves of about 60 sprawling stems of L...

Camellia japonica is an important garden landscape plant in southern China. In April 2022, leaf spot symptoms were observed at the camellia garden of Jiaying University (24°32'83″N, 17 116°12'31″E) in Meizhou city, Guangdong Province, China. The initial symptoms were grayish brown spots on the leaves, as the disease progressed, the lesions were enlarged and affected the whole leaf and eventually led to the loss of its ornamental value. The disease incidence was above 15%. Leaf pieces (5 × 5 mm) from 3 diseased Camellia leaves were sterilized in 75% ethanol for 1 min, then in 1% NaOCl for 1 min; and rinsed three times with sterile water...

Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski is a perennial creeping herb of the Asteraceae family, which is native to South America. It was introduced into Southern China as a groundcover in the 1970s (Zhang et al. 2023). Now it is mainly used for folk medicine to treat various kinds of inflammatory, incuding joint pain, rheumatic diseases, arthritis, in addition to treating persistent wounds, ulcers, and edemas (Gonçalves et al. 2022). In February and November 2023, powdery mildew symptoms were observed on 60% of S...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic value of metagenomic sequencing technology based on Illumina and Nanopore sequencing platforms for patients with suspected lower respiratory tract infection whose pathogen could not be identified by conventional microbiological tests. METHODS: Patients admitted to the Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine in Shanghai Ruijin Hospital were retrospectively studied from August 2021 to March 2022. Alveolar lavage or sputum was retained in patients with clinically suspected lower respiratory tract infection who were negative in conventional tests...

The most common skin diseases include eczema, psoriasis, acne, and fungal infections. There is often no effective cure for them. Increasing antimicrobial drug resistance prompts us to search for new, safe, and effective therapeutics. Among such interesting candidates are peptides derived from milk fermented with specific lactic acid bacteria or with kombucha cultures, which are a potential treasure trove of bioactive peptides. Four of them are discussed in this article. Their interactions with zinc and copper ions, which are known to improve the well-being of the skin, were characterized by potentiometry, MS, ITC, and spectroscopic methods, and their cytostatic potential was analyzed...

BACKGROUND: Early blight (EB) of Tomatoes, caused by Alternaria solani, is a serious fungal disease that adversely affects tomato production. Infection is characterized by dark lesions on leaves, stems, and fruits. Several agrochemicals can be used to control infection, these chemicals may disrupt environmental equilibrium. An alternative technology is needed to address this significant fungal threat. This study was designed to control the growth of EB in tomatoes caused by A. solani, using green-fabricated silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs)...

OBJECTIVES: Posaconazole is increasingly used for the treatment and prophylaxis of invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised children. We aimed to review evidence for paediatric posaconazole dosing regimens focusing on attainment of target concentrations and frequency of adverse effects. METHODS: In May 2023, the Cochrane, Embase, MEDLINE and PubMed databases were searched for articles reporting posaconazole dosing in children with malignancy or post-haematopoietic stem cell transplantation...