In South America Andes hantavirus (ANDV) is hosted by the rodent
(also known as pygmy rice rat). In humans, ANDV causes Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), with a fatality rate of about 40%. ...Epidemiologic and molecular evidence has shown that ANDV can be transmitted from person to person. Sin Nombre hantavirus, occurring in North America, and ANDV are genetically related, and both cause HPS with similar clinical evolution and mortality rate. However, only ANDV is transmitted from person to person. A recent hantavirus outbreak in a small village in Southern Argentine, with 29 HPS cases and 11 deaths has brought to mind that person-to-person transmission continues to be a public health emergency. The present investigation was aimed to understand how does ANDV actually spread between persons. Tissue samples of lung and salivary glands from infected
and lethal cases of human HPS were investigated by bright field immunocytochemistry, multichannel immunofluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy. The findings are consistent with ANDV infection and replication in the lung alveolar epithelium and macrophages, and in the secretory cells of the submandibular salivary glands. In the lung of infected
and human cases HPS, the bulk of immunoreactive hantavirus antigens was localized in epithelial cells of the alveolar walls and macrophages. The ultrastructural study supports that in the lung of HPS patients the virus replicates in the alveolar epithelial cells with virus particles being discharged into the alveolar lumen. Virus-like particles were seen within vacuoles of the lung macrophages. Considering that these macrophages can reach the conductive segments of the airways, their expectoration becomes a deadly bullet for ANDV transmission. In the submandibular glands of infected rodents and HPS cases, ANDV antigens were in capillary endothelium, the secretory cells and filling the lumen of the excretory pathway. It is proposed that in patients with HPS caused by ANDV the alveolar epithelium and macrophages would be the gate for the airway spreading of the virus, while the salivary glands are a target for virus replication and an exit pathway through saliva.
Laureliopsis philippiana (Looser) R. Schodde (Monimiaceae) is a native tree widespread in the forest areas in the south of Chile and Argentina, known for its medicinal properties and excellent wood. ...The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition of L. philippiana leaf and bark essential oils (EOs) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and to quantify its anti-oomycete activity, specifically against Saprolegnia parasitica and S. australis. Only six components were identified in leaf EO, 96.92% of which are phenylpropanoids and 3.08% are terpenes. As for bark EO, 29 components were identified, representing 67.61% for phenylpropanoids and 32.39% for terpenes. Leaf EO was characterized mainly by safrole (96.92%) and β-phellandrene (1.80%). Bark EO was characterized mainly by isosafrole (30.07%), safrole (24.41%), eucalyptol (13.89%), methyleugenol (7.12%), and eugenol (6.01%). Bark EO has the most promising anti-Saprolegnia activity, with a minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) value of 30.0 µg/mL against mycelia growth and a minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) value of 50.0 μg/mL against spores; for leaf EO, the MIC and MFC values are 100 and 125 µg/mL, respectively. These findings demonstrate that bark EO has potential to be developed as a remedy for the control of Saprolegnia spp. in aquaculture.
La microbiota fúngica que perros y gatos portan en su pelaje es adquirida principalmente del ambiente y está compuesta por diversos hongos queratinofílicos, patógenos u oportunistas, por lo que su ...presencia representa un riesgo de infección para las personas. El objetivo de esta investigación fue contribuir al conocimiento del rol de los gatos sanos como posibles diseminadores de hongos filamentosos patógenos y oportunistas a las personas. Se colectaron 50 muestras de pelo y piel de gatos dermatológicamente sanos, mediante la técnica de Mariat y Tapia. Las muestras se sembraron en agar Sabouraud suplementado con glucosa y cloranfenicol-gentamicina (ASG), agar Selectivo identificatorio de dermatofitos (DTM) y Dermatophyte Identification Medium (DIM), e incubadas a 28gradosC por 21 días. En el 100% de las muestras se obtuvo desarrollo de hongos. Se identificó hongos de los géneros Acremonium, Alternaría, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Chaetomium, Chrysosporium, Fusarium, Geotríchum, Humicola, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Scopularíopsis, Tríchoderma y Sporothrix, algunos de los cuales son señalados en la literatura como hongos queratinofílicos y oportunistas. Los dermatofitos fueron los más abundantes (80%) representados por Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes y Epidermophyton floccosum. Los resultados de este trabajo demuestran que el pelaje de gatos dermatológicamente sanos, porta una variada flora fúngica del tipo filamentoso queratinofílica y queratinolítica, lo que confirma el rol ecológico de estos animales como reservorio y fuente de infecciones oportunistas. Palabras clave: Hongos queratinofílicos, oportunistas, dermatofitos, reservorios. The fungal microbiota that dogs and cats carry in their haircoat is principally acquired from the environment and is composed of diverse queratinophilic fungi, pathogens and opportunistic therefore their presence represent an infection risk for the human population. The aims of this research was to contribute to the knowledge of the role of healthy cats as potential disseminators of pathogens and opportunistic filamentous fungi to humans. Fifty tissue and hair samples of dermatological healthy cats were collected, using the Mariat y Tapia sampling technique. The samples was cultured on Sabouraud agar supplemented with glucose and chloramphenicol gentamicin (ASG), Dermatophytes Test Medium agar (DTM) and Dermatophyte Identification Medium (DIM) and incubated at 28degreesC for 21 days. Its were obtained 100% positive samples to the fungal culture, and were identified Acremonium, Alternaría, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Chaetomium, Chrysosporium, Fusarium, Geotríchum, Humicola, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Scopularíopsis, Trichoderma and Sporothrix, some of them are reported as potential keratinophylics and opportunistic patogens. Dermatophytes were mostly isolated from cats (80%), represented by Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Epidermophyton floccosum. The occurrence of several filamentous keratinophylic and keratinolitic fungi in the haircoat of dermatological healthy cats confirms their status as reservoirs and as sources of opportunistic infection. Key words: Keratinophylics fungi, opportunist, dermatophytes, reservoirs.
La mucormicosis es una enfermedad emergente grave, producida por hongos saprófitos del orden Mucorales, que afecta fundamentalmente a pacientes inmunocom-prometidos. La forma cutánea se origina por ...inoculación de esporas dentro de la dermis con el subsecuente desarrollo de una lesión tipo ectima, generalmente única y de evolución rápidamente progresiva, por las características angioinvasoras del hongo, que determina amplias zonas de infartos y necrosis en los tejidos. Presentamos el caso de un paciente con cuatro años de edad, con diagnóstico de leucemia linfoblástica aguda, en quimioterapia de inducción, que cursó con neutropenia profunda y prolongada, presentando una lesión cutánea en el codo compatible con ectima gangrenoso. Recibió tratamiento antimicrobiano y antifúngico, asociado a un aseo quirúrgico. El cultivo para hongos demostró crecimiento de Rhizopus microsporus var oligosporus, y la histología concluyó presencia de hifas no septadas. El estudio de extensión descartó compromiso óseo, sinusal y cerebral. Completó 40 días de terapia antifúngica con anfotericina B deoxicolato, evolucionando satisfactoriamente. Posteriormente requirió injerto dermo-epidérmico. Si bien esta patología es infrecuente, debemos sospecharla en pacientes con neoplasias hematológicas, para establecer un diagnóstico etiológico oportuno, ya que el tratamiento contempla el desbridamiento quirúrgico precoz asociado a antifúngicos sistémicos, siendo de elección anfotericina B.
Fusarium spp. are non-dermatophytic hyaline moulds distributed worldwide and recovered from the nature as soil saprophytes and plant pathogens. Human infections are usually precipitated by local or ...systemic predisposing factors and disseminated infection is associated with impaired immune responses. We report eight cases of cutaneous lesions caused by Fusarium spp. All patients were immunocompetent. Seven cases with presented onychomycosis and one patient with interdigital intertrigo. It is important to alert the medical community about the relevance of the opportunistic fungi, such as Fusarium spp., which have emerged as human infectious agents, emphasizing the importance of correct etiological identification, allowing for appropriate treatment.
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