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...   
 
Bipolaris australiensis
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

One of several "graminicolous" species common on plant material particularly grasses. This species displays considerable variability in the dimension of the conidia, a feature generally not seen with B.spicifera or B. hawaiiensis. It has been isolated from a lesion of viral vesicular dermatitis on the scalp, reported as an agent of allergic chronic sinusitis, and as the cause of a disseminated infection in a young immunocompetent man.