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Morphological identification of foodborne pathogens colonizing rice grains in south Asia

Reddy KR, Farhana NI, Wardah AR, Salleh B

Pak J Biol Sci, 2010 Aug 15;13(16):794-801.

The aim of this study was to identify the foodborne pathogens mainly, Aspergillus sp. colonizing rice grains using cultural and microscopic methods. Four differential media (Czapek Dox Agar (CZA), Czapek Yeast Agar (CYA), Malt Extract Agar (MEA) and Czapek yeast 20% sucrose agar (CYA20S)) were used for differentiation of five Aspergillus sp., colonizing rice grains comparing with standard cultures. We studied macroscopic (colony color and diameter, conidia color, exudates, sclerotia and colony texture) and microscopic (conidiophore color, length and breadth, conidia size, shape and surface texture, vesicle diameter and phialides length and breadth) characteristics for identification of 110 isolates of Aspergillus sp. isolated from 65 rice grain samples collected from various countries in South Asia (Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand). According to morphological characters, all these isolates were belonging to Aspergillus flavus (45), A. fumigatus (8), A. ochraceus (7), A. niger (42) and A. tamarii (8). This is the first report on identification of large number of Aspergillus strains isolated from rice grains in South Asia.

Matched MeSH terms: Aspergillus fumigatus/isolation & purification

Pulmonary aspergilloma. Case reports from Malaysia

Arianayagam S, Jayalakshmi P, Tuck Soon SH

Mycopathologia, 1986 Mar;93(3):151-3.

PMID: 3520330

Pulmonary aspergilloma is by no means uncommon in Malaysia. The lack of documentation of its occurrence in Malaysia, is mainly due to the lack of clinical awareness, and the absence of facilities for the proper diagnosis of the infection.

Matched MeSH terms: Aspergillus fumigatus/isolation & purification

Disseminated invasive aspergillosis in an apparently immunocompetent host

Raja NS, Singh NN

J Microbiol Immunol Infect, 2006 Feb;39(1):73-7.

PMID: 16440127

Aspergillosis is a spectrum of diseases caused by members of the genus Aspergillus that continues to pose a significant threat to immunocompromised, organ transplant, neutropenic and cancer patients. In view of increasing risk factors leading to invasive aspergillosis, it is imperative for clinicians to be familiar with the clinical presentation, diagnostic methods and management of the disease. We describe a 34-year-old immunocompetent male patient receiving chemotherapy for Aspergillus fumigatus infection that had disseminated to lung, liver and spleen. A computed tomogram of thorax and abdomen showed thick-walled cavities of different sizes with air fluid levels, consolidation in both lungs and involvement of liver and spleen. His broncheoalveolar lavage and sputum specimens yielded A. fumigatus. Successful treatment of this infection was achieved with amphotericin B and itraconazole.

Matched MeSH terms: Aspergillus fumigatus/isolation & purification*

Acute myeloid leukaemia with tell-tale computed tomography scans

Fadilah SA, Cheong SK, Maimunah A, Toh ST, Shamin AS

Postgrad Med J, 2001 Nov;77(913):733-4, 737-9.

PMID: 11677287

Matched MeSH terms: Aspergillus fumigatus/isolation & purification*

Fatal aspergillosis in imported parrots

Kaplan W, Arnstein P, Ajello L, Chandler F, Watts J, Hicklin M

Mycopathologia, 1975 Jul 30;56(1):25-9.

PMID: 1097931

Spontaneous fatal aspergillosis occurred in several species of parrots imported from Latin America, Australia, Malaya and Ghana for studies on the control of psittacosis. Over a period of 4 years, 655 parrots were imported for use in these studies. All birds that died during these investigations were necropsied, and the internal organs of 45 were found to have macroscopic lesions suggestive of aspergillosis. Of these 45 suspected cases, 32 were confirmed as aspergillosis by both histopathology and culture, and three others by histopathology alone. There was no evidence that the remaining 10 had this disease. Of the 32 culturally confirmed cases, 13 were found to be caused by Aspergillus fumigatus, 16 by A. oryzae, and three by both fungi. In this series, three sets of circumstances appear to have been associated with the development of fatal aspergillosis. Their capture and transport to the United States, the administration of chlortetracycline used in the control of psittacosis, and the administration of cortisone acetate in an attempt to activate existent latent psittacosis infections. The possible causal relationship of these factors are discussed.

Matched MeSH terms: Aspergillus fumigatus/isolation & purification

Fulltext Angioinvasive cerebral aspergillosis presenting as acute ischaemic stroke in a patient with diabetes mellitus

Norlinah MI, Ngow HA, Hamidon BB

Singapore Med J, 2007 Jan;48(1):e1-4.

PMID: 17245496

Cerebral angioinvasive aspergillosis is a rare manifestation of disseminated aspergillosis which may result in stroke in immunocompromised individuals. Reports of such disease in patients with diabetes mellitus are rare. We describe a 45-year-old man with diabetes mellitus who presented with a three-day history of right-sided limb weakness and aphasia. Cerebral computed tomography showed features of an acute infarct involving the left anterior and middle cerebral arteries. He was initially treated for an acute ischaemic stroke. Further history revealed that he was investigated for a growth in the sphenoid sinus two months earlier. Culture of the biopsied material from the sphenoid sinus grew Aspergillus fumigatus. Magnetic resonance imaging showed an extension of the growth to the brain, causing the acute ischaemic stroke. He was subsequently diagnosed with angioinvasive cerebral aspergillosis and was commenced on intravenous amphotericin B. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his illness despite treatment.

Matched MeSH terms: Aspergillus fumigatus/isolation & purification

Clinical effectiveness of early posaconazole suspension pre-emptive therapy in lung transplant recipients: The Alfred's experience

Jeong W, Snell GI, Levvey BJ, Westall GP, Morrissey CO, Ivulich S, et al.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 2017 Jul 01;72(7):2089-2092.

PMID: 28369489 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkx085

Objectives: This study describes the clinical outcomes and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) following posaconazole suspension pre-emptive therapy in lung transplant (LTx) recipients.

Methods: This was a single-centre, retrospective cohort study evaluating posaconazole suspension pre-emptive therapy in LTx recipients between January 2009 and December 2015.

Results: Forty-two LTx recipients were prescribed posaconazole suspension pre-emptively. Aspergillus fumigatus was the most commonly isolated fungal organism. Of the patients receiving posaconazole suspension as the initial antifungal post-LTx, 93% had eradication of colonization at 6 months after commencing therapy. In contrast, only 61% had eradication of fungal colonization when posaconazole suspension was administered following initial therapy with voriconazole. Posaconazole suspension appeared to be well tolerated, although one case was curtailed following concern about abnormal liver function and another due to nausea/vomiting. TDM was performed in 37 patients. The initial median (IQR) trough plasma concentration ( C min ) following 400 mg twice-daily posaconazole suspension was 0.78 (0.46-1.19) mg/L. Doses beyond 800 mg daily did not appear to result in a higher median C min.

Conclusions: Early initiation of posaconazole suspension pre-emptive therapy in LTx recipients appears to be well tolerated and may potentially afford favourable clinical outcomes.

Matched MeSH terms: Aspergillus fumigatus/isolation & purification

Fulltext The use of an in-house modified double antibody sandwich ELISA to detect Aspergillus antigens in sera of immunosuppressed patients

Samad SA, Rahman HA

Singapore Med J, 1999 Aug;40(8):513-8.

PMID: 10572490

The purpose of this study was to retrospectively detect Aspergillus antigens in sera obtained from immunocompromised host using an in-house modified double antibody sandwich ELISA.

Matched MeSH terms: Aspergillus fumigatus/isolation & purification*

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