Microbial and clinical epidemiology of invasive fungal rhinosinusitis in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, the divergent causative agents.

Since COVID-19 spread worldwide, invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (IFRS) has emerged in immunocompromised patients as a new clinical challenge. In this study, clinical specimens of 89 COVID-19 patients who presented clinical and radiological evidence suggestive of IFRS were examined by direct microscopy, histopathology, and culture, and the isolated colonies were identified through DNA sequence analysis. Fungal elements were microscopically observed in 84.

Fungal keratitis in Iran: Risk factors, clinical features, and mycological profile.

Introduction: This study was intended to investigate the clinical features and predisposing factors of fungal keratitis (FK), as well as molecular identification and antifungal susceptibility of causative agents in Tehran, Iran.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out from April 2019 to May 2021. All fungi isolates were identified using conventional methods and were confirmed by DNA-PCR-based molecular assays.

Fungal and bacterial co-infections of the respiratory tract among patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in intensive care units.

Backgrounds: The pandemic of COVID-19 has created a global public health crisis. ICU patients with COVID-19 are prone to infections of bacterial and/or fungal origins due to several risk factors. Consequently, the current study was conducted to evaluate the frequency, demographic characteristics, underlying conditions, and etiologic agents of fungal and bacterial co-infections of the respiratory tract among ICU patients with COVID-19 in Iran.

Molecular Characterization of Fungal Colonization on the Provox™ Tracheoesophageal Voice Prosthesis in Post Laryngectomy Patients.

Background: Tracheoesophageal voice prostheses (TVPs) have been the gold standard in rehabilitation, after laryngectomy, producing faster and premier voicing towards esophageal speech. Fungal colonization shortens the device's lifetime and leads to prosthesis dysfunction, leakage, and subsequent respiratory infection. Therefore, in the current study, we aimed to investigate the fungal colonization patterns and to propose prophylactic measures that shall increase the longevity of voice prosthesis.

First molecular report of causative agent of otomycosis due to Aspergillus luchuensis.

Otomycosis is a fungal infection of the external auditory canal caused mainly by the genus , an industrially important fungus, is a member of section . In this report, we present a case of otomycosis due to in a 43-year-old female patient. We performed a partial PCR-sequencing of β-tubulin and calmodulin genes to identify the isolate to the species level.