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Sakyiamah M, Larbi E, Kwofie S. In silico-based identification of some selected phytoconstituents in Ageratum conyzoides Leaves as potential inhibitors of crucial proteins of Blastomyces dermatitidis. BIOMEDICAL AND BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH JOURNAL (BBRJ) 2022. [DOI: 10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_224_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Villacorta Cari E, Leedy N, Ribes JA, Soria J, Myint T. Risk factors of severe blastomycosis and comparison of diagnosis and outcomes between immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. Mycoses 2021; 65:239-246. [PMID: 34874582 DOI: 10.1111/myc.13409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Blastomycosis is an endemic fungal infection that causes pulmonary and systemic disease. It can occur irrespective of the patient's immune status. The risk factors associated with the severity of the disease are not well studied. METHODS This is a retrospective study of patients admitted with blastomycosis at the University of Kentucky Hospital from 2004 to 2019. Logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with severe blastomycosis. RESULTS A total of 76 patients were identified; 22 (28.9%) had at least one immunosuppressive condition. Pulmonary blastomycosis was reported in 49/76 (65%) of the patients and disseminated infection in 27/76 (35.5%). All diagnostic tests were not significantly different in diagnostic results in immunocompromised vs immunocompetent patients. Cultures and histopathology were positive in 56/61 (91.8%) and 54/63 (85.7%) respectively. Blastomyces or Histoplasma antigen test was positive in 13/17 (76.4%) in immunocompromised patients compared to 26/42 (61.9%) in immunocompetent patients. Immunocompromised patients were more likely to be admitted to the hospital and ICU compared to immunocompetent patients. In the multivariate analysis, pulmonary multilobar disease (RR 5.68; 95% CI 2.13-15.15), obesity (RR 2.39; 95% CI 1.26-4.51), diabetes mellitus (RR 3.50; 95% CI 1.38-8.90) and immunosuppression (RR 2.28; 95% CI 1.14-4.56) were significant independent risk factors for severe blastomycosis. Inpatient mortality proportion was higher in immunocompromised patients but not statistically significant. CONCLUSION Pulmonary multilobar disease, obesity, diabetes mellitus and immunosuppression were risk factors associated with severe blastomycosis. Immunocompromised patients required more frequent hospitalisations compared to immunocompetent patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn Villacorta Cari
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Nicole Leedy
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Julie A Ribes
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Jaime Soria
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Thein Myint
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
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Carignan A, Boudhrioua C, Moreira S, Pelletier AA, Dufour K, Pépin J, Allard C, Marcoux D, Dufresne PJ. Changing Patterns of Disease Severity in Blastomyces dermatitidis Infection, Quebec, Canada. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 27:2810-2817. [PMID: 34670643 PMCID: PMC8544988 DOI: 10.3201/eid2711.210552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The increase in severe cases might be related to an increased number of immunosuppressed patients; climate change might also play a role. This retrospective multicenter cohort study assessed temporal changes in the severity and mortality rate of blastomycosis in Quebec, Canada, and identified risk factors for death in patients with blastomycosis in 1988–2016. The primary outcome was 90-day all-cause deaths. Among 185 patients, 122 (66%) needed hospitalization and 30 (16%) died. We noted increases in the proportion of severe cases, in age at diagnosis and in the proportion of diabetic and immunocompromised patients over time. Independent risk factors for death were age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.04, 95% CI 1.00–1.07), immunosuppression (aOR 4.2, 95% CI 1.5–11.6), and involvement of >2 lung lobes (aOR 5.3, 95% CI 1.9–14.3). There was no association between the Blastomyces genotype group and all-cause mortality. The proportion of severe cases of blastomycosis has increased in Quebec over the past 30 years, partially explained by the higher number of immunosuppressed patients.
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Abstract
Blastomycosis is a systemic disease caused by Blastomyces spp. fungi. To determine its epidemiology in blastomycosis-endemic Minnesota, USA, we evaluated all cases reported to public health officials during 1999-2018. We focused on time to diagnosis, exposure activities, and exposure location. A total of 671 cases and a median of 34 cases/year were reported. Median time to diagnosis was 31 days; 61% of patients were not tested for blastomycosis until they were hospitalized. The case-fatality rate was 10%, and patients who died were 5.3 times more likely to have a concurrent medical condition. Outdoor activities and soil exposure were reported by many patients, but no specific activity or exposure was common to most. Almost one third of patients were probably exposed in geographic areas other than their home county. Providers should consider alternative etiologies for patients with pneumonia not responding to antibacterial treatment, and public health officials should increase awareness in blastomycosis-endemic areas.
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Dingle TC, Croxen MA, Fathima S, Shokoples S, Sonpar A, Saxinger L, Schwartz IS. Histoplasmosis acquired in Alberta, Canada: an epidemiological and genomic study. THE LANCET MICROBE 2021; 2:e191-e197. [DOI: 10.1016/s2666-5247(20)30229-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
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Endemic and Other Dimorphic Mycoses in The Americas. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7020151. [PMID: 33672469 PMCID: PMC7923431 DOI: 10.3390/jof7020151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Endemic fungi are thermally dimorphic fungi that have a limited geographic range and can cause both primary disease and opportunistic infections. The Americas are home to more genera of endemic fungi than anywhere else on earth. These include Coccidioides, Histoplasma, Blastomyces, Paracoccidioides, and Sporothrix. Endemic fungi are found across the Americas and the Caribbean, from Blastomyces gilchristi, which extends into the northeast corners of North America, to Histoplasma capsulatum, which occurs all the way down in the southern regions of South America and into the Caribbean Islands. Symptoms of endemic fungal infection, when present, mimic those of many other diseases and are often diagnosed only after initial treatment for a bacterial or viral disease has failed. Endemic fungi place a significant medical burden on the populations they affect, especially in immunocompromised individuals and in resource-limited settings. This review summarizes the ecology, geographical range, epidemiology, and disease forms of the endemic fungi found in the Americas. An emphasis is placed on new and proposed taxonomic changes, including the assignment of new species names in Histoplasma, Blastomyces, and Paracoccidioides.
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Analysis and modeling of Blastomyces dermatitidis environmental prevalence in Minnesota using soil collected to compare basal and outbreak levels. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:AEM.01922-20. [PMID: 33355116 PMCID: PMC8090874 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01922-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Outbreaks of blastomycosis, caused by the fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis, occur in endemic areas of the United States and Canada but the geographic range of blastomycosis is expanding. Previous studies inferred the location of B. dermatitidis through epidemiologic data associated with outbreaks because culture of B. dermatitidis from the environment is often unsuccessful. In this study, we used a culture-independent, PCR-based method to identify B. dermatitidis DNA in environmental samples using the BAD1 promoter region. We tested 250 environmental samples collected in Minnesota, either associated with blastomycosis outbreaks or environmental samples collected from high- and low-endemic regions to determine basal prevalence of B. dermatitidis in the environment. We identified a fifth BAD1 promoter haplotype of B. dermatitidis prevalent in Minnesota. Ecological niche analysis identified latitude, longitude, elevation, and site classification as environmental parameters associated with the presence of B. dermatitidis Using this analysis, a Random Forest model predicted B. dermatitidis presence in basal environmental samples with 75% accuracy. These data support use of culture-independent, PCR-based environmental sampling to track spread into new regions and to characterize the unknown B. dermatitidis environmental niche.Importance Upon inhalation of spores from the fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis from the environment, humans and animals can develop the disease blastomycosis. Based on disease epidemiology, B. dermatitidis is known to be endemic in the United States and Canada around the Great Lakes and in the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys but is starting to emerge in other areas. B. dermatitidis is extremely difficult to culture from the environment so little is known about the environmental reservoirs for this pathogen. We used a culture-independent PCR-based assay to identify the presence of B. dermatitidis DNA in soil samples from Minnesota. By combining molecular data with ecological niche modeling, we were able to predict the presence of B. dermatitidis in environmental samples with 75% accuracy and to define characteristics of the B. dermatitidis environmental niche. Importantly, we showed the effectiveness of using a PCR-based assay to identify B. dermatitidis in environmental samples.
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Mutalik VS, Bissonnette C, Kalmar JR, McNamara KK. Unique Oral Presentations of Deep Fungal Infections: A Report of Four Cases. Head Neck Pathol 2020; 15:682-690. [PMID: 32889592 PMCID: PMC8134600 DOI: 10.1007/s12105-020-01217-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Deep fungal infections rarely involve the oral cavity and most commonly affect immunocompromised patients. Oral deep fungal infections typically manifest as chronic mucosal ulcerations or granular soft tissue overgrowths. Since these lesions are non-specific and can mimic malignancy, it is crucial to obtain a thorough clinical history and an adequate biopsy to render the appropriate diagnosis. We report four new cases of deep fungal infections, diagnosed as histoplasmosis, blastomycosis and chromoblastomycosis, exhibiting unique oral and perioral presentations. Awareness of these unusual entities can help dental and medical practitioners expedite proper multidisciplinary care and minimize morbidity and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vimi S. Mutalik
- grid.21613.370000 0004 1936 9609Department of Dental Diagnostics and Surgical Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB Canada
| | - Caroline Bissonnette
- grid.261331.40000 0001 2285 7943Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Radiology, The Ohio State University College of Dentistry, 305 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - John R. Kalmar
- grid.261331.40000 0001 2285 7943Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Radiology, The Ohio State University College of Dentistry, 305 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Kristin K. McNamara
- grid.261331.40000 0001 2285 7943Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Radiology, The Ohio State University College of Dentistry, 305 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
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Bennie Ho K, Ng M, Tallon K. A case of disseminated blastomycosis with pulmonary, genitourinary, and osteoarticular involvement in southern Saskatchewan. JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE CANADA = JOURNAL OFFICIEL DE L'ASSOCIATION POUR LA MICROBIOLOGIE MEDICALE ET L'INFECTIOLOGIE CANADA 2020; 5:39-43. [PMID: 36339010 PMCID: PMC9603311 DOI: 10.3138/jammi.2019-0010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Although southern Saskatchewan is not known to be a region endemic to blastomycosis, we present a case of disseminated blastomycosis in a 39-year-old man with pulmonary, genitourinary, and osteoarticular involvement. The patient presented with persistent fevers despite recent antibiotic therapy, arthritis in his left foot, and urinary obstruction. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest revealed a diffuse miliary pattern. A transbronchial biopsy only showed granulomatous changes, and washings were negative for fungal culture. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the left foot revealed signs of septic arthritis. Pathology from the joint aspiration and debridement revealed budding yeast in keeping with blastomycosis. Urine culture also grew blastomycosis, confirming urinary involvement. He was initiated on itraconazole, with complete resolution of his symptoms within 2 weeks. This case illustrates the challenges in diagnosing disseminated blastomycosis, and further establishes the endemicity of blastomycosis in southern Saskatchewan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Bennie Ho
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Maxwell Ng
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kelsey Tallon
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Department of Respirology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Ashraf N, Kubat RC, Poplin V, Adenis AA, Denning DW, Wright L, McCotter O, Schwartz IS, Jackson BR, Chiller T, Bahr NC. Re-drawing the Maps for Endemic Mycoses. Mycopathologia 2020; 185:843-865. [PMID: 32040709 PMCID: PMC7416457 DOI: 10.1007/s11046-020-00431-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Endemic mycoses such as histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, blastomycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, and talaromycosis are well-known causes of focal and systemic disease within specific geographic areas of known endemicity. However, over the past few decades, there have been increasingly frequent reports of infections due to endemic fungi in areas previously thought to be “non-endemic.” There are numerous potential reasons for this shift such as increased use of immune suppressive medications, improved diagnostic tests, increased disease recognition, and global factors such as migration, increased travel, and climate change. Regardless of the causes, it has become evident that our previous understanding of endemic regions for these fungal diseases needs to evolve. The epidemiology of the newly described Emergomyces is incomplete; our understanding of it continues to evolve. This review will focus on the evidence underlying the established areas of endemicity for these mycoses as well as new data and reports from medical literature that support the re-thinking these geographic boundaries. Updating the endemic fungi maps would inform clinical practice and global surveillance of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nida Ashraf
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Ryan C Kubat
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Victoria Poplin
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Antoine A Adenis
- Centre d'Investigation Clinique Antilles-Guyane, Inserm 1424, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | - David W Denning
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Laura Wright
- Geographic Research Analysis and Services Program, Division of Toxicology and Human Health Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Orion McCotter
- Mycotic Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ilan S Schwartz
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Brendan R Jackson
- Mycotic Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Tom Chiller
- Mycotic Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nathan C Bahr
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA.
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Emerging Fungal Infections: New Patients, New Patterns, and New Pathogens. J Fungi (Basel) 2019; 5:jof5030067. [PMID: 31330862 PMCID: PMC6787706 DOI: 10.3390/jof5030067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The landscape of clinical mycology is constantly changing. New therapies for malignant and autoimmune diseases have led to new risk factors for unusual mycoses. Invasive candidiasis is increasingly caused by non-albicans Candida spp., including C. auris, a multidrug-resistant yeast with the potential for nosocomial transmission that has rapidly spread globally. The use of mould-active antifungal prophylaxis in patients with cancer or transplantation has decreased the incidence of invasive fungal disease, but shifted the balance of mould disease in these patients to those from non-fumigatus Aspergillus species, Mucorales, and Scedosporium/Lomentospora spp. The agricultural application of triazole pesticides has driven an emergence of azole-resistant A. fumigatus in environmental and clinical isolates. The widespread use of topical antifungals with corticosteroids in India has resulted in Trichophyton mentagrophytes causing recalcitrant dermatophytosis. New dimorphic fungal pathogens have emerged, including Emergomyces, which cause disseminated mycoses globally, primarily in HIV infected patients, and Blastomyceshelicus and B. percursus, causes of atypical blastomycosis in western parts of North America and in Africa, respectively. In North America, regions of geographic risk for coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, and blastomycosis have expanded, possibly related to climate change. In Brazil, zoonotic sporotrichosis caused by Sporothrix brasiliensis has emerged as an important disease of felines and people.
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Richels L, Holfeld K. An uncommon infectious etiology in an unlikely geographic location: A case report of cutaneous blastomycosis in Saskatchewan. SAGE Open Med Case Rep 2019; 7:2050313X19897716. [PMID: 35154763 PMCID: PMC8825630 DOI: 10.1177/2050313x19897716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Blastomycosis is a primary pulmonary mycosis of humans usually affecting patients geographically located near the Great Lakes, Lake-of-the-Woods and northern Ontario. We report a case of cutaneous blastomycosis in a patient with no environmental contact outside of Saskatchewan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Richels
- College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Regina, SK, Canada
| | - Karen Holfeld
- College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Regina, SK, Canada
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