There are over 100,000 species of fungi. Many fungi are good and useful (edible mushrooms would be an example of these) while some cause problems (some fungi can injure plants and humans). Every week the IEQ Review will describe a specific microorganism, its morphological origin and potential health effects. If you would like to know about a specific organism and/or would like it published in The IEQ Review please email Dr. Rajiv Sahay with the Environmental Diagnostics Laboratory (EDL) at Pure Air Control Services laboratory@pureaircontrols.com. This week we will cover ...

Fusarium oxysporum  

 
 
While F. solani is the most common clinical isolate, Fusarium oxysporum appears to be the second most common species recovered It has been reported in skin and nail infections in subcutaneous disease in a neutropenic child managed with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in a disseminated infection in hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and in a fatal case involving a cross reaction with a pan-Candida genus probe.
 
Concordant results from phylogenetic analysis of multilocus DNA sequence data and amplified fragment length polymorphisms showed that a geographically widespread clonal lineage comprised greater than 70% of all clinical isolates investigated, including strains investigated from a pseudoepidemic involving bronchial lavage isolates in a San Antonio hospital, and from water systems in hospitals in Houston, Baltimore, and Seattle The species is usually easily identified by its lavender color on potato dextrose agar, its short monophialides, and microconidia formed only in false heads.