Penicillium sp.: slow to rapidly growing fungus that produces green, blue-green, yellow-green, gray-green, orange to red colony with an uncolored or yellow, orange, yellowish- brownish, deep red to reddish-purple reverse, within fourteen days, when incubated at 25C (77F). Some species may produce a fruity odor. It is a common fungus isolated worldwide and can be isolated from air, soil, plants, sand dunes, sewage, swamps, mangrove swamps, salt marshes, caves, fresh and salt water, compost, cotton, textiles, caterpillars, bird feathers, animal dung, leather, wooden furniture, bees and beehives, flour-based foodstuffs, optical lenses, fruits, and fruit juices.
P. brevicompactum Penicillium sp.
Health Affects: Some species produce a mycotoxin. Rarely an opportunistic human pathogen in corneal infections and systemic infections. It may hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) in cheese workers, humidifier lung disease, woodman's lung disease, and cork worker's (suberosis) disease. May cause HP, allergic alveolitis in susceptible individuals. Common cause of extrinsic asthma (immeadiate-type hypersensitivity: type I). Acute symptoms include edema and bronchiospasms, chronic cases may develop pulmonary emphysema.
