Date: 14 February 2017
Copyright:
Provided by KM Lord and ND Read
Notes:
Aspergillus spores are incredibly tiny, tough fungal seeds that germinate to form the germ tube and later hyphae. Germination is affected by temperature, humidity and pH among other factors.
About 3-4% of the population, including many asthma sufferers, are allergic to the proteins coating the surface of fungal spores. Levels of spores from most species peak during June-Sep, but aspergillus also peaks in Jan-Feb.
We all inhale hundreds of Aspergillus spores every day, but in healthy people they are cleared by white blood cells that engulf them before they have the chance to germinate. Stopping them from germinating is one potential way of preventing disease.
This picture shows a scanning electron micrograph of germinating Aspergillus fumigatus spores (provided by KM Lord and ND Read). In this picture the spores are clustered in the middle, with the germ tubes radiating outwards.
Read more and view the current spore level report
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Images and abstract taken from Mert D et.al., Hematol Rep. 2017 Jun 1;9(2):6997. doi: 10.4081/hr.2017.6997. Invasive Aspergillosis with Disseminated Skin Involvement in a Patient with Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Rare Case.
Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is most commonly seen in immunocompromised patients. Besides, skin lesions may also develop due to invasive aspergillosis in those patients. A 49-year-old male patient was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
The patient developed bullous and zosteriform lesions on the skin after the 21st day of hospitalization. The skin biopsy showed hyphae. Disseminated skin aspergillosis was diagnosed to the patient.
Voricanazole treatment was initiated. The patient was discharged once the lesions started to disappear.
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A pile of woodchip stored for use in a garden usually as a weed suppressing mulch. The heat building up in the pile is illustrated by the plumes of steam eminating from the top of the pile.
Aspergillus fumigatus is particularly well adapted to grow in the heat (up to 60C) found in such piles of rotting organic material and this characteristic, an adaption for its life in its natural environment also enables it to survive and grow in warm mammalian bodies at 37C. Most fungi cannot grow or survive at those temperatures
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MK is 59 years old and presented with right sided pleuritic chest pain and coughing over 1 week. A chest Xray and then CT scan revealed complete collapse of her right lower lobe and middle lobes. Mucous retention is seen just proximal to the abrupt cutoff. There was mild bronchiectasis.
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