Autochthonous and dormant Cryptococcus gattii infections in Europe.

Until recently, Cryptococcus gattii infections occurred mainly in tropical and subtropical climate zones. However, during the past decade, C. gattii infections in humans and animals in Europe have increased.

Screening of strains of the Candida parapsilosis group of the BCCM/IHEM collection by MALDI-TOF MS.

One hundred sixty-three strains stored as Candida parapsilosis in the BCCM/IHEM collection were reidentified based on internal transcribed spacer sequencing: 92% were identified as true C. parapsilosis, while 4.3% and 3% belonged to the closely related species C.

In vitro antifungal susceptibilities and amplified fragment length polymorphism genotyping of a worldwide collection of 350 clinical, veterinary, and environmental Cryptococcus gattii isolates.

The in vitro susceptibilities of a worldwide collection of 350 Cryptococcus gattii isolates to seven antifungal drugs, including the new triazole isavuconazole, were tested. With amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting, human, veterinary, and environmental C. gattii isolates were subdivided into seven AFLP genotypes, including the interspecies hybrids AFLP8 and AFLP9.

Successful treatment with voriconazole of prolonged Paecilomyces lilacinus fungemia in a chronic hemodialyzed patient.

Paecilomyces lilacinus is a saprophytic mould which rarely causes infection in humans. We report a case of Paecilomyces lilacinus catheter-related fungemia in a chronic hemodialyzed patient. Blood cultures remained positive for 8 weeks.

Bloodstream yeast infections: a 15-month survey.

A 15-month survey of 412 bloodstream yeast isolates from 54 Belgian hospitals was undertaken. Candida albicans was the most common species (47.3%) followed by C.

A case of Candida lambica fungemia misidentified as Candida krusei in an intravenous drug abuser.

Only a handful of cases of human Candida lambica infections have been published up to now. We report a Candida lambica fungemia in a young intravenous drug abuser. Using a popular chromogenic agar and a commercial phenotyping gallery, the fungus was initially misidentified as Candida krusei.

[Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii isolates from two Peruvian patients.].

The ecology of Cryptococcus neoformans var. gatti is restricted to tropical and subtropical areas whereas C. neoformans var.

Molecular analysis of 311 Cryptococcus neoformans isolates from a 30-month ECMM survey of cryptococcosis in Europe.

During a European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM) prospective survey of cryptococcosis in Europe (from July 1997 to December 1999) 655 cases were reported from 17 countries; 565 of the completed questionnaires were evaluable. Cryptococcosis was associated with HIV infection in 77% of cases (range 57.5-94%).

In vitro activities of voriconazole, fluconazole, itraconazole and amphotericin B against non Candida albicans yeast isolates.

Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed on 197 yeast isolates from the BCCM/IHEM biomedical fungi and yeasts collection (Belgian Co-ordinated Collections of Micro-organisms / IPH-Mycology) to study the in vitro activity of voriconazole against fluconazole, itraconazole and amphotericin B. MICs of the four antifungal agents were determined by an adapted NCCLS M27-A microdilution reference method. MIC readings were visually and spectrophotometrically determined.

Epidemiology of human sporotrichosis investigated by amplified fragment length polymorphism.

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) was used to analyze the genetic diversity of Peruvian strains of Sporothrix schenckii and to compare them to a panel of non-Peruvian strains. AFLP analysis suggests that the Peruvian strains can be divided into two homogeneous clusters with no reference to geographical origin or the clinical form of sporotrichosis. The strains from abroad present heterogeneous profiles, with the Bolivian strain and the Colombian strains related to one of the Peruvian population.

A one-year survey of candidemia in Belgium in 2002.

A total of 211 episodes of bloodstream yeast infections in 207 patients, hospitalized in 28 Belgian hospitals participating in a National Surveillance Program, were evaluated. A total of 81% of the patients were more than 50 years of age. Candida albicans was the cause of infections in 55% of patients, 22% were due to C.

Isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans in Antwerp Zoo's nocturnal house.

Cryptococcosis was diagnosed postmortem in a striped grass mouse (Lemniscomys barbarus) housed in the nocturnal department of Antwerp Zoo. Eight of the remaining mice in the cage were captured. Cryptococcus neoformans was isolated from the lung of one animal.

In vitro activities of voriconazole (UK-109, 496), fluconazole, itraconazole and amphotericin B against 132 non-albicans bloodstream yeast isolates (CANARI study).

The aim was to evaluate the in vitro activity of voriconazole compared with those of amphotericin B, itraconazole and fluconazole against 132 bloodstream isolates of Candida non-albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae species. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by an adapted National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) M27-A method using RPMI 1640 as test medium supplemented with 2% glucose. MIC end-points were determined with a spectrophotometer after incubation for 48 h at 35 degrees C.

In vitro activity of amphotericin B, fluconazole and voriconazole against 162 Cryptococcus neoformans isolates from Africa and Cambodia.

In order to determine the potential role that various antifungal agents might have in the management of cryptococcosis in tropical areas, the in vitro susceptibility of Cryptococcus neoformans isolates from Africa ( n=52) and Cambodia ( n=110) to three antifungal agents (amphotericin B, fluconazole and voriconazole) were compared using the E-test method. The results of this study (i) confirm the value of the E-test for testing the in vitro susceptibility of C. neoformans towards voriconazole; (ii) provide the first evidence demonstrating good activity of amphotericin B, fluconazole and voriconazole against Cambodian isolates; and (iii) show there are differences in susceptibility between African and Asian C.

Isolation of Onychocola canadensis from four cases of onychomycosis in Belgium.

Onychocola canadensis can cause onychomycosis of the toenails. Thirty-two cases have been described up to now. We report on the isolation of Onychocola canadensis from four patients with onychomycosis who acquired their infection in Belgium.

Detection of single cells of Cryptococcus neoformans in clinical samples by solid-phase cytometry.

A method based on solid-phase cytometry for the detection and enumeration of single cells of Cryptococcus neoformans in serum and cerebrospinal fluid is described. Both viable and nonviable cells are detected by using fluorescence viability labeling and immunofluorescence. This 30-min procedure has a detection limit of 3 to 6 cells per ml.

Prevalence of Candida dubliniensis in the BCCM/IHEM Biomedical Fungi/Yeasts culture collection (isolates before 1990).

The BCCM/IHEM Biomedical Fungi/Yeasts collection hosts 1200 Candida albicans strains of the Vanbreuseghem mycotheque isolated between 1951 and 1997. From this collection, 469 freeze-dried C. albicans strains, producing chlamydospores, germ tubes and forming green colonies on CHROMagar, all isolated before 1990, were screened to identify the Candida dubliniensis isolates.

Identification of cultured isolates of clinically important yeast species using fluorescent fragment length analysis of the amplified internally transcribed rRNA spacer 2 region (ITS2).

Background: The number of patients candidate to yeast infection has increased during the last years. Also the variety of species of clinical importance has increased. Correct species identification is often important for efficient therapy, but is based on phenotypic features and is sometimes time-consuming and depends largely on the expertise of technicians.

Repeated isolation of Cryptococcus laurentii from the oropharynx of an immunocompromized patient.

Cryptococcus laurentii is one of the non-neoformans cryptococci that have rarely been isolated from humans. We report a case of repeated colonization of the oropharynx by Cr. laurentii in a patient with erythroleukaemia.

AIDS-associated cryptococcal meningitis in Rwanda (1983-1992): epidemiologic and diagnostic features.

Objectives: to document the trend of AIDS-associated Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis (CM) in Kigali, Rwanda, during 1983-1992, and to highlight some diagnostic and epidemiological features of the disease.

Methods: during the study period, 3476 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from 2824 adults (1578 men, 1246 women) were analysed in the Laboratory of Microbiology at the Centre Hospitalier de Kigali, Rwanda, Central Africa, using direct examination, culture and detection of the cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) in the CSF.

Results: CM was diagnosed among 549 (19%) patients (347 men, 202 women) and was by far the leading cause of meningitis before Neisseria meningitidis (n=115), Streptococcus pneumoniae (n=68), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (n=26).

Isolation of Basidiobolus ranarum from ectotherms in Antwerp zoo with special reference to characterization of the isolated strains.

Ten Basidiobolus ranarum (= Basidiobolus haptosporus) strains, isolated from faeces of 102 different lower vertebrates (ectotherms) exhibited in Antwerp Zoo, or from their environment were studied for their temperature requirements, haemolysis and other enzyme activities in vitro. All isolates grew well at 25 and 37 degrees C. Three strains that produced undulated zygospore walls were haemolytic and positive for hyaluronidase.

Comparative evaluation of Fungitest-, Neo-Sensitabs- and M27T-NCCLS broth microdilution methods for antifungal drug susceptibility testing of Candida species and Cryptococcus neoformans.

Two commercial antifungal susceptibility testing systems (Fungitest and Neo-Sensitabs) were compared with the M27T-NCCLS reference broth microdilution method using one hundred isolates of Candida sp. and Crptococcus neoformans. Six different antifungal drugs were tested: amphotericin B, 5-fluorocytosine, fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole and miconazole.

Genetic multilocus studies of different strains of Cryptococcus neoformans: taxonomy and genetic structure.

The genotypes of 107 strains of Cryptococcus isolated from the environment or from patients from various geographical areas were determined by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE). We analyzed the relationships between genotype structure and serotype and between genotype structure and strain origin. Twelve of the 14 enzyme-encoding loci studied were polymorphic, giving rise to 48 electrophoretic types.

Molecular typing of Cryptococcus neoformans: taxonomic and epidemiological aspects.

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis, serotype, and killer toxin sensitivity patterns of a wide range of saprobic, clinical, and veterinary isolates of both varieties of Cryptococcus neoformans were examined. C. neoformans var.