Fusarium spp.

Fusarium spp. are filamentous fungi that cause disease, commonly in plants and more rarely in humans (particularly in neutropenic patients). This can lead to a range of superficial and deep infections, including infections of the eyes. Fusarium spp. can also contaminate crops and animal feed with trichothecene and fumonisin mycotoxins (Alshannaq & Yu, 2017).

Factsheets

Fusarium oxysporum

NAMES
Fusarium oxysporum
Reviewed by Tupaki-Sreepurna and Kindo, 2018.
NATURAL HABITAT
A common soil fungus and pathogen of plants.
GEOGRAPHY
Worldwide
PREVALENCE
Unknown. There are no good epidemiology studies documenting the frequency of this pathogen. It is an infrequent cause of fungal infections, apart from keratitis. It is second only to Fusarium solani in causing human infections.
DISEASES
– Keratitis; most frequent entity. Outbreaks have been associated with the use of contact lenses
– Endophthalmitis
– Onychomycosis
– Cutaneous and subcutaneous infections
– Arthritis and mycetoma
– Sinusitis
– Disseminated infections are mainly found in immunosuppressed patients, mainly haematological, and have a mortality rate close to 100%
CULTURE
Colonies grow rapidly. The mycelium is white, then usually becomes purple. Sometimes some orange areas develop. Phialides are short in comparison with Fusarium solani. Microconidia are abundant and characteristic (bean shape), never in chains. Macroconidia are fusiform and slightly curved. Chlamydospores are terminal or intercalary.
Biosafety level 2
ANTIFUNGAL RESISTANCE
Fusarium oxysporum is a highly resistant fungus. The most active antifungal is amphotericin B. Voriconazole does show activity against some isolates, but this is not always the case. Other azole and echinocandin antifungals are also inactive.
INDUSTRIAL USES
Fusarium oxysporum produces several mycotoxins and enzymes for industrial use. The related species Fusarium graminearum is used to produce the food mycoprotein Quorn.

Fusarium solani

NAMES
Fusarium solani [teleomorph: Nectria haematococca ]
Reviewed by Tupaki-Sreepurna and Kindo, 2018.
NATURAL HABITAT
Frequently isolated from soil and plant debris.
GEOGRAPHY
Worldwide
PREVALENCE
The real frequency is unknown. Apart from keratitis, it is an infrequent cause of fungal infections, but it remains the most frequent species of Fusarium causing human infections.
DISEASES
– Keratitis; most frequent entity. Outbreaks have been associated with the use of contact lenses
– Endophthalmitis
– Onychomycosis
– Cutaneous and subcutaneous infections
– Arthritis and mycetoma
– Sinusitis
– Disseminated infections are mainly in immunosuppressed patients, mainly haematological, and have a mortality close to 100%
CULTURE
Colonies grow rapidly. The mycelium is white to cream. Sometimes areas of green or blueish-brown are developed. Conidiophores are long in comparison with other human pathogenic species. Microconidia are abundant and bean shaped. Strains isolated from humans do not usually produce macroconidia. Chlamydospores are frequent.
Biosafety level 2
ANTIFUNGAL RESISTANCE
F. solani is a highly resistant fungus. The most active antifungal is amphotericin B. Voriconazole does show activity against some isolates, but this is not always the case. The rest of the azole antifungals are inactive, as well as the echinocandins.
INDUSTRIAL USES
Produces ciclosporin A, an immunosuppressive agent, which transformed the outcome of organ transplantation. The related species Fusarium graminearum is used to produce the food mycoprotein Quorn.
Scroll to top