Systemic/Cutaneous Mycoses, Opportunistic Fungi Flashcards
Systemic Mycoses
List the 5 types of Systemic dimorphic fungi
- Blastomyces dermatitidis
- Coccidioides immitis
- Histoplasma capsulatum
- Paracoccidiodes brasiliensis
- Talaromyces marneffei
Pneumocystis jirovecci is in the Systemic Mycoses slideshow too and is considered dimorphic. I don’t know why it’s not in this list in the PPT
Systemic Mycoses
Which diseases do the 5 systemic dimorphic fungi cause?
- Blastomycosis
- Coccidiodomycosis
- Histoplasmosis
- Paracoccidiodomycosis
- Talaromycosis
Describe Blastomyces dermatitidis characteristics
- Fungus lives in moist soil and decomposing matter (saprophytic)
- In USA, lives in Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys, Great Lakes, and the Saint Lawrence River
- Not spread from person to person
- Infection caused by breathing in fungal spores
- People who smoke, have lung disease, or are immunocompromised are more likely to get sick
Systemic Mycoses
Describe Coccidioides spp. traits
- BSL-3 organism
- Risk to hospital personnel
- Known as Valley Fever
- Found in San Joaquin Valley + Sonoran Desert
- Lives in dust and soil of desert regions
- Infection due to breathing in fungal spores
- Exists as mold with septate hyphae that fragment into arthroconidia
Describe Histoplasma capsulatum traits
- Found in chicken coops and bat caves
- Exists as mold with aerial hyphae, which produce macroconidia and microconidia
- Infection due to breathing in fungal spores
- Inside body, warmer host temp signals fungus to transofsrm in to yeast, which get phagocytosed by immune cells
Systemic Mycoses
Describe Talaromyces marneffei traits
- Only affects people who live in Southeast Asia, southern China, or eastern India
- Makes people sick week to years after primary contact with the fungus
- Mostly affects immunocompromised patients (e.g., HIV/AIDS)
Systemic Mycoses
Describe Paracoccidiodes brasiliensis traits
- Mariner’s wheel
- Found in Central and South America
- Lives in moist soil
- Infection due to breathing in spores from air
- Mostly affects men who work outdoors
Systemic Mycoses
Describe Pneumocystis jirovecii traits
- Formally considered protozoan, now considered fungus
- Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP
- PCR test or microscopic exam
- Respiratory specimens (BAL: bronchioalveolar lavage or biopsy)
Yeasts
List clinically significant yeast
- Candida albicans
- Candida auris
- Other Candida spp.
- Cryptococcus neoformans/gatii
- Trichosporon beigelii
- Rhodotorula
- Geotrichum candidum
- Malassezia spp.
Yeasts
Why is Candida auris a public health concern?
- Multidrug resistant
- Difficult to ID in lab
- Has caused outbreaks in clinical settings
Yeasts
Describe Candida spp. traits
- Normally lives on skin and inside the body, such as the mouth, throat, gut, and vagina, without causing problems
- Candida can cause infections if it grows out of control or if it enters deep into the body
- Can infect mouth, throat, esophagus, and vagina
Yeasts
List other Candida spp.
- C. glabrata
- C. tropicalis
- C. krusei
- C. parapsilosis
- C. auris
Yeasts
Describe Cryptococcus neoformans traits
- Produces phenoloxidase (produces melanin)
- Infection due to inhalation of spores , which lodge into alveoli and disseminate into CNS
- Spores found in bird excreta, such as pigeons
- Tests: urease and bird seed agar
- Antigen detection: CSF or serum detects early, asymptomatic infection in HIV-infected patients
Yeasts
Describe Cryptococcus gattii traits
- Lives in the environment in primarily tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world but also in some temperate regions such as British Columbia and some parts of the United States.
- Rare infection that people can get after breathing in the microscopic fungus
- Can affect the lungs, central nervous system, or other parts of the body.
Yeasts
What is the procedure for C. neoformans ID?
- Observe mucoid colonies in preliminary culture
- Urease test -> must be positive
- Observe morphology cornmeal agar -> want absent pseudohyphae
- Inoculate onto bird seed agar
- Observe reddish-brown colonies
Yeasts
Describe Malassezia furfur traits
- Requires olive oil in media for growth bc lipid-dependent
- ## Causes superficial skin infection called tinea versicolor
Cutaneous Mycoses
Define superficial mycoses
Infections that involve the outer epithelial layers (skin, hair, and nails)