FioAntar, FIOCRUZ's research project in Antarctica, is based on the One Health approach. FioAntar aims to generate relevant information that will help reduce the risk of future pandemics and improve the search for chemical compounds and new biological molecules. After four expeditions to Antarctica under the scope of PROANTAR, Fiocruz has identified Influenza H11N2 virus in environmental fecal samples, as well as Histoplasma capsulatum and Bacillus cereus in soil samples.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBraz J Microbiol
September 2024
Cryptococcus neoformans is primarily responsible for cases of cryptococcal meningitis in individuals with HIV/AIDS. This study evaluated the susceptibility of C. neoformans obtained from individuals with cryptococcal meningitis associated with HIV/AIDS in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, against the action of the antifungals amphotericin B, flucytosine, fluconazole, itraconazole and posaconazole and analyzed it using Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) in order to identify the Sequence Types (STs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe detected Histoplasma capsulatum in soil and penguin excreta in the Antarctic Peninsula by sequencing after performing species-specific PCR, confirming previous observations that this pathogen occurs more broadly than suspected. This finding highlights the need for surveillance of emerging agents of systemic mycoses and their transmission among regions, animals, and humans in Antarctica.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFspp. are human pathogens that cause 181,000 deaths per year. In this work, we systematically investigated the virulence attributes of spp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe present a rare condition of mixed and infection in a person living with HIV with false-negative CrAg LFA in the CSF and co-infection with paracoccidioidomycosis. Signs and symptoms are relative to respiratory tract and skin, confounding with other opportunistic disease. After negatives CrAg LFA and Indian ink staining in CSF, there was isolation of in sputum and in CSF, in addition to reagent serology (double immunodiffusion) for PCM with 1/16 titer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe members of the and species complexes are the main etiological agents of cryptococcosis, a life-threatening fungal infection affecting mostly immunocompromised people, but also immunocompetent hosts or those with unrecognized risk factors [...
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCryptococcosis is a systemic fungal disease acquired from contaminated environments with propagules of the basidiomycetous yeasts of the and species complexes. The species complex classically comprises four major molecular types (VNI, VNII, VNIII, and VNIV), and the species complex comprises another four (VGI, VGII, VGIII, and VGIV) and the newly identified molecular type VGV. These major molecular types differ in their epidemiological and ecological features, clinical presentations, and therapeutic outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCryptococcosis is a life-threatening fungal infection caused by the Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii species complex. Most cases are recorded in patients suffering from HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). However, this infection also occurs in non-HIV patients with a proportion of 10-30% of all cases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParacoccidioides spp. isolation from environmental samples is rare and hardly reproducible. Molecular techniques have facilitated the fungal detection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Bloodstream infections (BSI) caused by Candida species are the fourth cause of healthcare associated infections worldwide. Non-albicans Candida species emerged in the last decades as agents of serious diseases. In this study, clinical and microbiological aspects of six patients with BSI due to the Meyerozyma (Candida) guilliermondii species complex from an oncology reference center in Brazil, were evaluated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCryptococcosis, a potentially fatal mycosis in humans, is acquired via exposure to exogenous environmental sources. This study aimed to investigate the frequency, genetic diversity, and virulence of cryptococcal strains isolated from indoor dust in the Rio Negro micro-region of the Brazilian Amazon. A total of 8.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe choice of a suitable preservation method is critical for long-term microorganisms' viability. The strains should be preserved for long periods using reliable and reproducible methods that minimize genotypic and phenotypic variations and viability losses. The methodologies are usually designed for a better performance in isolated microorganisms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCryptococcal meningitis is a several disease common in late stage of HIV infection. Detection of cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) is an important for early diagnosis of this invasive mycosis. The pre-emptive treatment for isolated antigenemia prevents the onset of meningoencephalitis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTwo cats infected by presented lesions on the nasal region and respiratory signs. Strains were typed as molecular type VGII, mating type alpha, MLST subtypes ST442 and ST185. Since Rio de Janeiro is known as an endemic area for VNI, these cases might be a warning for a possible emergence of VGII in southeast Brazil.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMed Mycol
October 2019
Early diagnosis, efficient clinical support, and proper antifungal therapy are essential to reduce death and sequels caused by cryptococcosis. The emergence of resistance to the antifungal drugs commonly used for cryptococcosis treatment is an important issue of concern. Thus, the in vitro antifungal susceptibility of clinical strains from northern Brazil, including C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS Negl Trop Dis
July 2018
Background: Chromoblastomycosis (CBM) is a difficult-to-treat chronic subcutaneous mycosis. In Brazil, the main agent of this disease is Fonsecaea pedrosoi, which is phenotypically very similar to other Fonsecaea species, differing only genetically. The correct species identification is relevant since different species may differ in their epidemiologic aspects, clinical presentation, and treatment response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
December 2018
Cryptococcosis is considered endemic in Amazonas state, occurring more frequently in individuals with AIDS, who are predominantly infected by Cryptococcus neoformans molecular type VNI. Infections by Cryptococcus gattii VGII predominate in immunocompetent hosts from the American continent and are associated with outbreaks in North America, particularly the subtypes VGIIa and VGIIb, which are also present in the Brazilian Amazon region. Despite few environmental studies, several aspects of the molecular epidemiology of this disease in Amazonas remain unclear, including the limited use of multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to evaluate the genetic population structure of clinical isolates, mainly C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS Negl Trop Dis
January 2017
Cryptococcosis is an important fungal infection in immunocompromised individuals, especially those infected with HIV. In Brazil, despite the free availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the public health system, the mortality rate due to Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis is still high. To obtain a more detailed picture of the population genetic structure of this species in southeast Brazil, we studied 108 clinical isolates from 101 patients and 35 environmental isolates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMycoses
May 2015
Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii AFLP1/VNI is the main causative agent of cryptococcosis associated with AIDS in the world. Cryptococcus gattii AFLP6/VGII causes mainly endemic primary infection in immunocompetent hosts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCryptococcosis is a human fungal infection of significant mortality and morbidity, especially in the meningoencephalitis form. Cryptococcosis is distributed worldwide and its agents, C. neoformans and C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF