MMIC PBL 2 (FUNGI)

Possible Fungal Pathogens:

Images of Fungi:

Histoplasma capsulatum

Sporothrix schenckii

Trichophyton rubrum

Cryptococcus neoformans

Aspergillus fumigatus

References:
1) Levinson, W. (2006). Review Of Medical Microbiology and Immunology. (9th ed.). US: The McGraw-Hill Company
2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page > Histoplasmosis
3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page > Sporotrichosis
4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page > Athletes_foot
5) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page > Ringworm
6) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page > Jock_itch
7) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page > Cryptococcosis
8) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page > Aspergillosis
9) http://www.google.com/ > image search > "microorganism name"


By Soong Ci Liang
TG01

Type of Fungi	Pathogenesis & pathology	Symptoms	Laboratory Diagnosis	Preventive measures
Ascomycota	Mammalian lung parasite causing Pneumocystis pneumonia. Ability to consume collogen, an abundant structural protein in animals as food sources. The disease attacks indiviuals with decreased CD4 at the interstitial, fibrous tissue of the lungs, with marked thickening of the alveolar septa and alveoli leading to significant hypoxia, which can be fatal if not treated aggressively.	- Non-productive cough - shortness of breath - weight loss and night sweats	- characteristic appearance of the chest x-ray shows widespread pulmonary infiltrates - causative organism in induced sputum or bronchial wash - low arterial oxygen level	Maintains high levels of CD4 by avoiding immuno-supressents.
Phythium	Occurrence in wet environments and summer months- Infection can also be acquired after contact with soil and grass containing Phythium insidiosum. Organism is acquired through traumatic implantation and remains localized or spreads to infect other tissues, especially arteries. Pythiosis is the disease which results from an infection of the fungal like organism Pythium insidiosum.rmation of subcutaneous lesions and the invasion of the main arteries. If not treated the infection is fatal.	Inflammation of affected extremity.	- Culture, serology, and histopathology - Hyphae of this oomycete are present in the infected tissues - Serological test such as ID and ELISA have proved to be of value for its early diagnosis.	- Amputation in the affected extremity. - Vaccines are being researched on currently.
Fusarium	Widely distributed in soil and in association with plants.- Some species produce mycotoxins in cereal crops that can affect human and animal health if they enter the food chain. Opportunistic infections in humans may occur at nails and in the cornea. In immunosupressed individual, aggressive fusarial infections penetrating the whole body and bloodstream may occur.	- Abdominal pain - Diarrhea - Vomiting - Prostration - Fever - Chills - Myalgias - Bone marrow depression with granulo-cytopenia - Pharyngeal - gastro-intestinal ulceration -vaginal bleeding -bloody diarrhea - hematuria	- FBC with low WBC suggest infection - Bacterial corneal ulcer - Tissue from corneal scraping is cytologically diagnostic.	Natamycin drug therapy

References:
1) Levinson, W. (2006). Review Of Medical Microbiology and Immunology. (9th ed.). US: The McGraw-Hill Company

By Douglas Yew
TG01