Occurrence of itraconazole-tolerant micromycetes in the soil and food products.

Unexpected pathogens from the environment represent considerable risk for humans with impaired health. We examined the occurrence of itraconazole tolerant micromycetes in soil and in maize products. Five concentrations of itraconazole (2.

Microscopic fungi in dwellings and their health implications in humans.

The article reviews the quantitative and qualitative incidence of microscopic filamentous fungi in dwellings, methods for their detection, mycotoxins, glucans and volatile organic compounds produced by microscopic fungi in the indoor air of homes. Characteristics and properties of the most important species of fungi in dwellings (Alternaria spp., Aspergillus spp.

Molds on house walls and the effect of their chloroform-extractable metabolites on the respiratory cilia movement of one-day-old chicks in vitro.

The ciliostatic activity of the chloroform-extractable endo- and exometabolites of 5 strains of filamentous fungi--Alternaria sp., Aspergillus glaucus group, Aspergillus versicolor, Cladosporium sphoerospermum, Penicillium sp. and Ulocladium sp.

[Sensitivity to disinfectants in certain rare micromycetes].

The authors investigated the effectiveness of 6 different disinfectants at recommended concentrations on strains of rare types of filamentous micromycetes: Scedosporium apiospermum and Exophiala dermatitidis (isolated from ophthalmomycoses), Fusarium dimerum (isolates from nosocomial fungaemia) and strains of Fusarium moniliforme and Stachybotrys alternans (isolates from the environment and potential producers of mycotoxins). The tested strains were mostly sensitive also to an alcoholic solution, to a preparation containing glutaraldehyde, with inorganic peroxocompounds, with peroxoacetic acid; the lowest effectiveness was found in the preparation containing active chlorine and the most resistant strain was Scedosporium apiospermum.

[Today's tasks in medical mycology].

The author analyzes contemporary tasks of mycology. Problems comprise clinical as well as environmental mycology which possesses a large amount of new findings and thus offers many research opportunities for young microbiologists.

Eight-year surveillance of non-albicans Candida spp. in an oncology department prior to and after fluconazole had been introduced into antifungal prophylaxis.

From 1989 until 1996, during the last 8 years, the proportion of Candida (C.) krusei, and other non-albicans Candida spp. isolated from surveillance cultures and from sterile body sites, was analyzed among 13,758 admissions in a National Cancer Institute.

[Mycotic keratitis with uveitis cause by Scedosporium apiospermum].

Mycotic Keratitis with Induced Uveitis Caused by Scedosporium Apiospermum. In the work the case of mycotic keratitis with induced uveitis is descriped. Affected is young healthy woman working in a fruit and vegetable store.

Fungaemia due to Fusarium spp. in cancer patients.

Five cases of fungaemia due to Fusarium spp. in cancer patients are described. Two were breakthrough cases, despite ongoing therapy with amphotericin B.

Toxinogenicity of heat-resistant fungi detected by a bio-assay.

The ciliostatic activity of exo- and endometabolites of 125 (100%) heat-resistant fungal isolates was evaluated in vitro by a bioassay on tracheal tissue cultures of 1 day old chicks. For 11 (9%) of the isolates investigated chloroform-extractable secondary metabolites were detected in the medium. For 29 (23%) they were detected in mycelium and spores and for 25 (20%) they were detected in the medium, mycelium and spores at the same time.

Phaeohyphomycosis due to Alternaria spp. and Phaeosclera dematioides: a histopathological study.

A case of phaeohyphomycosis caused by strains of both Alternaria spp. and Phaeosclera dematioides is presented. The biopsy material was studied using histological, immunohistochemical and transmission electron microscopy techniques.

Ciliostatic effect of fungi on the respiratory tract ciliary movement of one-day-old chickens in vitro.

The ciliostatic activity of exo- and endometabolites of 243 filamentous fungal strains was evaluated by in vitro bioassay using tracheal organ cultures of 1-d-old chicks. Chloroform-extractable metabolites produced in the cultivation medium (25 degrees C/10 d) by 30 out of 72 (41%) investigated strains displayed the ciliostatic activity as did metabolites from the biomass of the spores and the mycelium of 46 other strains (26%). This result could contribute to the clarification of the correlation between fungi and respiratory disorders in some working places and in damp dwellings.

Filamentous microfungi in raw flax and cotton for textile industry and their ciliostatic activity on tracheal organ cultures in vitro.

In a three-year experiment we studied mycobiota of 24 samples of flax and 45 samples of cotton processed in Slovak textile factories. We isolated 12.2 x 10(6) (on average) cfu of microfungi per 1 g of flax samples and 3.

Invasive mold infections in cancer patients: 5 years' experience with Aspergillus, Mucor, Fusarium and Acremonium infections.

Twenty systemic mold infections due to hyphic fungi (molds) arising within the last 5 years in a 60-bed cancer department are analyzed. The most frequent risk factors were plants in ward (75%), prior therapy with broad spectrum antibiotics (70%), catheter insertion (70%), acute leukemia (65%) and neutropenia (60%). Before death, a definitive diagnosis was made in 40%, and a presumptive diagnosis in 60% of patients: post mortem the presumptive antemortem diagnosis was confirmed in all cases (100% of patients).

Phaeohyphomycosis caused by Alternaria species and Phaeosclera dematioides Sigler, Tsuneda and Carmichael.

A case of phaeohyphomycosis caused by strains of both Alternaria spp. and Phaeosclera dematioides is presented. First clinical signs of mycosis appeared on the patient's face, after an injury with a straw stalk during the wheat harvest in Germany in 1942.

The effect of chloroform-extractable secondary metabolites of filamentous fungi on the movement of respiratory tract cilia of one-day-old chicks in vitro.

The ciliostatic activity of the chloroform-extractable metabolites of 72 strains of filamentous fungi growing in a liquid medium, on tracheal cilia from 1-d-old chicks in vitro was evaluated. Forty-eight of the investigated strains produced ciliostatic metabolites; 13, 11, 16, and 25% of the strains stopped the movement of cilia after 1, 2, 3, 6 d, respectively. The results are discussed in relationship with chronic bronchitis of people working with mouldy materials, living in mouldy dwellings and with the "sick-building syndrome".

[Fusarium and fusariosis].

The submitted review deals with the problem of hyalohyphomycoses caused by the genus Fusarium. Attention is drawn to the fact that members of this genus cannot be considered any longer in medical microbiology as mere saprophytes but that they are able to cause superficial, organ and disseminated infections. The number of patients infected with these fungi is increasing.

Heat resistant fungi isolated from soil.

The Thermal death time values (TDT) were estimated for Dichotomomyces cejpii, Gilmaniella humicola, Talaromyces avellaneus and Talaromyces bacillisporus isolated from soil. TDT values were compared with the TDT values of the known heat-resistant species, Byssochlamys nivea, Neosartorya fischeri and Talaromyces flavus. All species studied showed considerable heat resistance.

[New species of micromycetes infecting man].

The author gives an account of another 77 species of micromycetes and some varieties of micromycetes which supplement the alphabetical list of 163 fungi which infect man, prepared by Otcenásek and Dvorák in 1985. Problems of medical mycology are discussed.

Aureobasidium mansoni meningitis in a leukemia patient successfully treated with amphotericin B.

Aureobasidium mansoni fungal meningitis in a 30-year-old leukemic patient is reported. This is the first reported case of Aureobasidium spp. central nervous system infection.

Effect of mycotoxins on in vitro movement of tracheal cilia from one-day-old chicks.

The effect of 11 mycotoxins on the ciliary movement of tracheal epithelium from one-day-old chicks in vitro was examined. Sterigmatocystin and diacetoxyscirpenol were most ciliostatically active in vitro; the ciliostatic effect was observed after 2 d if the amount concentration was 30 micrograms/L. In contrast, patulin stopped the movement of cilia after 2 d only if its concentration was 20 mg/L.

Heat resistance of fungi from soil.

The survival of fungi from soil samples has been investigated after exposure to temperatures of 60, 70, 80 and 90 degrees C in Sabouraud agar. The least resistant fungi surviving 60 degrees C for 60 min were the Aspergillus (A.) niger group, Chaetomium spp, Penicillium spp, and Scytalidium lignicola.

Fusarium poae and Fusarium sporotrichioides in cereal grains of the Slovak Republic.

The occurrence of Fusarium poae and F. sporotrichioides was examined in 37,172 cereal grains of 229 samples from the Slovak Republic. In an area where strains of Fusarium parasitized.