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BACKGROUND PAECILOMYCES: and Penicillium are considered as rare opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised hosts, and pneumonia caused by Paecilomyces and Penicillium is rare. In this study, we present first case of severe pneumonia with pleural effusion caused by co-infection of Paecilomyces variotii (P. variotii) and Penicillium oxalicum (P. oxalicum) in a 66-year-old female with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. CASE PRESENTATION: A 56-year-old woman patient presented to hospital for nausea, poor appetite, and vomiting for one day. On the second day of admission, blood culture and renal puncture fluid culture grew multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli (imipenem/cilastatin sensitive), and she received combination therapy with imipenem/cilastatin (1 g, every 8 h) and vancomycin (0.5 g, every 12 h). On the fourth day, she developed symptoms of respiratory failure. Pulmonary computed tomography (CT) showed an increase in pneumonia compared to before, with minor pleural effusion on both sides. Two fungi were isolated repeatedly from BALF culture, which were confirmed as P. variotii and P. oxalicum by Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing. Her pleural effusion was completely absorbed, pneumonia symptoms have significantly improved and discharged with receiving liposomal amphotericin B treatment for four weeks. CONCLUSIONS: It is worth noting that clinicians and laboratory personnel should not simply consider Paecilomyces and Penicillium species as contaminants, especially in immunocompromised patients. Early fungal identification and antifungal drug sensitivity are crucial for clinical drug selection and patient prognosis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Fungi produce secondary metabolites that are not directly involved in their growth, but often contribute to their adaptation to extreme environmental stimuli and enable their survival. Conidial pigment or melanin is one of the secondary metabolites produced naturally by a polyketide synthesis (PKS) gene cluster in several filamentous fungi and is known to protect these fungi from extreme radiation conditions. Several pigmented or melanized fungi have been shown to grow under extreme radiation conditions at the Chernobyl nuclear accident site. Some of these fungi, including Paecilomyces variotii, were observed to grow towards the source of radiation. Therefore, in this study, we wanted to identify if the pigment produced by P. variotii, contributes to providing protection against radiation condition. We first identified the PKS gene responsible for synthesis of pigment in P. variotii and confirmed its role in providing protection against UV irradiation through CRISPR-Cas9 mediated gene deletion. This is the first report that describes the use of CRISPR methodology to create gene deletions in P. variotii. Further, we showed that the pigment produced by this fungus, was not inhibited by DHN-melanin pathway inhibitors, indicating that the fungus does not produce melanin. We then identified the pigment synthesized by the PKS gene of P. variotii, as a naptho-pyrone Ywa1, by heterologously expressing the gene in Aspergillus nidulans. The results obtained will further aid in understanding the mechanistic basis of radiation resistance., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Fractionation of extracts from the culture broth of the marine-derived fungus, Paecilomyces sp. 7A22, resulted in the isolation of the harzialactone A ( HA ), a known compound previously isolated from fungi of marine environments. The chemical structure of HA was determined by spectroscopic analyses. Upon evaluation of HA on antileishmanial assays against Leishmania amazonensis , HA exhibited significant activity against promastigotes forms with IC 50 of 5.25 µg mL -1 and moderate activity against intracellular amastigotes with IC 50 of 18.18 µg mL -1 . This is the first report on the antileishmanial activity of HA , and the effects of HA presented in this work suggest that this class of compounds are suitable for future biological in vitro and in vivo studies for the search of natural products with activity against Leishmania spp. Furthermore, the present results corroborate marine-derived fungi as a promising source of natural products with antiparasitic activity.

Biotyper analysis of Nannizziopsis guarroi, a fatal fungal pathogen in lizards, was described recently. Hypocrealean fungal infections in captive reptiles appear with an increasing frequency during the last decade. Therefore, the aim of this study was to proof Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) as diagnostic tool for the identification of reptile pathogenic hypocrealean fungi. Ten fungal isolates obtained from nine reptiles with fungal glossitis, disseminated visceral mycosis, pneumomycosis, and fungal keratitis were analyzed. Phylogeny consisted of fragments of the large subunit of nuclear encoded ribosomal DNA (D1/D2, LSU) and the internal transcribed spacer region 1 of nuclear encoded ribosomal DNA (ITS1) as well as the protein coding gene translation elongation factor 1 alpha (TEF). Results revealed unanimously two Metarhizium granulomatis genotypes in a total of three isolates, various M. viride genotypes (n = 3), two different Purpureocillium lilacinum isolates as well as one isolate of each P. lavendulum and Beauveria bassiana. Purpureocillium lilacinum and B. bassiana are likewise frequently employed as a mycoinsecticide and mycoacaricide in agriculture on a worldwide scale and have occasionally been reported in man, causing fungal keratitis, sclerokeratitis, nosocomial infections in immunosuppressed patients, as well as cavitary pulmonary disease and cutaneous hyalohyphomycosis in immunocompetent patients. According to the results establishment of Biotyper analysis for faster differentiation of reptile-associated fungal pathogens is entirely justified., (© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology.)

A 54-year-old Caucasian woman presented with corneal ulcer of the right eye of 4 weeks duration after scratching her cornea while removing her contact lens and artificial eye lashes. Her visual acuity was 20/32 (left eye) and finger counting (right eye). She had a 3x3 mm epithelial defect with underlying corneal oedema and hypopyon. Right eye cultures grew Paecilomyces species. Topical and systemic antifungal agents were initiated. Due to the sight-threatening disease, the patient underwent surgical intervention with intrastromal injection of amphotericin B and a large conjunctival flap covering 75% of the right eye corneal ulcer. After 3 months of therapy, she had near-complete resolution of the corneal ulcer. Unfortunately, recurrence of the corneal ulcer occurred within 3 weeks of cessation of therapy, prompting reinitiation of ophthalmic and systemic antifungal agents. The patient was advised to continue therapy for 6 months with regular follow-up., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

We report a case of a 41-year-old woman, wearer of contact lenses who was presented to the emergency room with a 2-month history of pain and red eye. She presented with a severe keratitis refractory to quinolones, fortified antibiotics and clotrimazole. Due to the risk of perforation, a tectonic penetrating keratoplasty (PK) was performed. Clinical signs of keratitis recurrence were observed and cultures were positive for Purpureocillium lilacinum ( former Paecilomyces lilacinus) The patient did not improve on topical amphotericin B and intracameral voriconazole. Worsening of clinical condition required a new PK. Oral posaconazole was initiated postoperatively and suspended at the fourth postoperative month. The cornea remains clear until the last follow-up visit, 12 months after the second graft. To our knowledge, this is the second case report that documents the effectiveness of oral posaconazole in a refractory P. lilacinus keratitis, resistant to other second-generation triazoles and conventional antifungals., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Endophytic fungi have been used to obtain novel bioactive secondary metabolites with potential applications in medical and agricultural sectors, which can also act as lead targets for pharmaceutical and medicinal potential. In the present study, the endophytic fungus Paecilomyces formosus LHL10 isolated from the root of cucumber plant was tested for its enzyme inhibitory potential. The ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract of LHL10 was screened for its inhibitory effect on acetylcholinesterase (AChE), α-glucosidase, urease, and anti-lipid peroxidation. The findings suggest that the EtOAc extract from LHL10 possesses significant inhibitory potential against urease and α-glucosidase. The EtOAc extract was thus, subjected to advanced column chromatographic techniques for the isolation of pure compounds. The structure elucidation was carried out through spectroscopic analysis and comparison with literature data, and these compounds were confirmed as known a sester-terpenoid (1) and a known cyclic peptide (2). The enzyme inhibition bioassay indicated that Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited remarkable inhibitory rate against α-glucosidase and urease, with an IC 50 value of 61.80 ± 5.7, 75.68 ± 6.2 and 74.25 ± 4.3, 190.5 ± 10.31 µg/g, respectively. Thus, the current study concludes the enzyme inhibitory potential of endophyte LHL10 and provides the basis for further investigations of bioactive compounds, which could be used as potent drugs for enzyme inhibition.

The fungus Purpureocillium lilacinum previously known as Paceliomyces lilacinus is an emerging pathogen that can cause severe human infections including devastating oculomycosis. Treatment with traditional antifungals often fails, and the organism shows variable susceptibility to novel triazoles. We hereby report a case of keratomycosis caused by Pur. lilacinum in an immunocompetent male patient following trauma. The patient was successfully treated with voriconazole. The drug shows good activity against Pur. lilacinum and could be a promising therapeutic alternative to treat infections caused by this fungus, which generally shows resistance to conventional antifungal agents including novel triazoles., Competing Interests: There is no conflict of interest

We describe a case of keratitis caused by Paecilomyces lilacinus in a contact lens wearer with a history of diabetes.

This study reports the first assessment of endophytic fungi isolated from strawberry leaves and selection of isolates for the control of Duponchelia fovealis, a new pest of strawberries. A total of 400 strawberry leaves of the cultivar 'Albion' were collected in four commercial farms. Leaves were disinfected, cut in fragments, and placed on Petri dishes containing potato dextrose agar media with tetracycline and incubated for 30 days. Following this time, 517 fungal colonies were isolated, and thirteen genera were identified: Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Nigrospora, Fusarium, Trichoderma, Chaetomium, Alternaria, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Ulocladium, Bipolaris, Diaporthe, and Phoma. Eight isolates belonging to the genera Aspergillus, Diaporthe, Paecilomyces, and Cladosporium were selected for pathogenicity bioassays against third instar larvae of D. fovealis. Isolates of Paecilomyces induced the highest mortality rates.

Introduction: A 5-year old hunting dog was presented with reduced appetite, weight loss and polyuria/polydipsia. Hematology and clinical chemistry revealed anemia, leukocytosis, increased liver enzymes, hypoalbuminemia and hypercalcemia. The cytological, pathohistological and microbiological examination identified a disseminated infection with the saprophytic mould fungus Paecilomyces variotii in the biopsies of the spleen and a lymph node. Determination of vitamin D metabolites confirmed a calcitriol induced hypercalcemia.

A 10-y-old female green tree python ( Morelia viridis) died of fungal pneumonia caused by Purpureocillium lilacinum, which was confirmed histologically and by PCR and subsequent DNA sequencing. The same fungal species was cultivated from a swab taken from the terrarium in which the snake was housed. Clinical and environmental P. lilacinum isolates were indistinguishable by the typing method applied, strongly suggesting clonal relatedness of both isolates. Because no other underlying predisposing respiratory infection could be detected by virus-specific PCR or histopathology, P. lilacinum was considered a primary pulmonary pathogen in this tree python.

Fungal biomass proves to be highly efficient for the treatment of wastewater as well as recovery of metal ions from wastewater. Present investigation was aimed to evaluate the efficiency of indigenous fungal isolates for the sequestration of Zn(II) ions aqueous solution. Among twenty five fungal isolates, Aspergillus oryzae SV/09 (AO SV/09), Aspergillus flavus NA9 (AF NA9) and Paecilomyces formosus DTO 63f4 (PF DTO-63f4) were identified by gene sequencing of ITS regions of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA). The AO SV/09, AF NA9 and PF DTO-63f4 showed promising efficiency for the biosorption of Zn(II) ions. Zn(II) ions adsorption was endothermic in nature and data fitted will to the Freundlich isotherm with correlation coefficients values of 0.99, 0.98 and 0.99 for AO SV/09, AF NA9 and PF DTO-63f4, respectively. Pseudo-second order kinetic model explained well the Zn(II) adsorption kinetic of Zn(II) ions onto biosorbents. The adsorbed Zn(II) ions were desorbed using HCl and 85.5, 75.3, 73.7 (%) Zn(II) ions were recovered from AO SV/09, AF NA9 and PF DTO-63f4 sorbents, respectively. The fungal biosorbents were successfully recycled up to five cycles. Based on sorption, recovery and regeneration, the application of fungal bio-sorbents for the sequestration and recovery of Zn(II) ions is suggested from wastewater and could possibly be extended for the recovery of other heavy metal ions from wastewater., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Paecilomyces hepiali is a new species of fungus isolated from a field collection of Ophiocordyceps sinensis from Baima snow mountain, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province by the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. The specimen was identified and named as Paecilomyces hepiali by Qing-Tao Chen, the professor of the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Paecilomyces hepiali) (2008), who identified a dried culture of living strain 82-2 as the holotype. Until now, the holotype (the voucher specimen) was deposited in the Herbarium of the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica (HICMM), China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing. The P. hepiali neotype designated by the paper "Neotypification of P. hepiali (Hypocreales)" published in TAXON 64 (1) by Yao Yi-Jian et al. in February 2015 is untenable., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

Paecilomyces sp. are emerging pathogens in immunocompromised patients. We report here a case of Paecilomyces variotii fungemia, cured with amphotericin and anidulafungin, illustrating difficulties of early diagnosis and therapeutic choice in such rare fungal infection.

Purpureocillium lilacinum is an emerging pathogenic mold among immunocompromised hosts that causes cutaneous infections related to skin breakdown. We present the first reported case of P. lilacinum tattoo-related skin infection, to our knowledge. A kidney transplant recipient recently treated for acute cellular rejection presented with skin papules overlying a tattoo. Diagnosis was confirmed on culture, histology, and 18S ribosomal RNA polymerase chain reaction. The morphological features on culture characteristic of P. lilacinum included violet colonies on malt extract agar, long tapering brush-like phialides, and elliptical conidia attached in chains. P. lilacinum has intrinsic resistance to many antifungal agents including amphotericin B, but voriconazole and posaconazole have good in vitro activity. The patient was treated with voriconazole with subsequent resolution of the papules after 3 months of therapy., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Paecilomyces variotii (P. variotii) is an extremely rare cause of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) peritonitis. When diagnosed, it usually portends poor prognosis. Patient's survival depends on early laboratory diagnosis and proper treatment. We herein report a P. variotii peritonitis in a patient on CAPD which is a quite rare clinical entity. Laboratory diagnosis was confirmed via both morphological analysis and DNA sequencing. Antifungal susceptibility tests were performed and interpreted according to the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute M38-A2 guidelines. After laboratory diagnosis, the patient was treated succesfully with liposomal amphotericin B and itraconazole combination and the peritoneal catheter was removed. This case is worthy of reporting since P. variotii is an uncommon cause of peritonitis and leads to dilemmas in both laboratory diagnosis and treatment strategies., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

We studied the influence of activation ofpecilomycotic infection in blood on the morphofunctional state of myocardium based on the clinical and pathomorphological data. The study included 23 patients with bronchial asthma (BA) concomitant with pecilomycosis after acute viral respiratory infection; protocols of autopsies and pathological sections of the heart muscle of the patients who died from asphixy and acute cardiac insufficiency were analyzed. Histological sections showed up vascular dystonia of the microcirculation bed, arteriole spasms, wall destruction in small and medium-size vessels and the adjacent muscular tissue, stromal oedema, valvular swelling, andperiwall endocarditis. Cardiac cavities and coronary vessels contained erythrocyte-rich thrombi with ferulas of Paecilomyces at different stages of development. Clinical manifestations of destructive changes in the heart muscle developing under effect of Paecilomyces infection had the form of rhythm and conductivity disorders. The local protective inflammatory reaction of productive type had the form of intermediate and vascular-type myocarditis passing to postmyocarditic cardiosclerosis. Periodic bursts of activation ofpecilomycotic infection in blood with the accumulation of fungal phospholipase A2 and lipid metabolites produced membranotoxic effect and can play the key role in the development of atherosclerosis and hypertensive disease in patients with BA and pecilomycosis.

The authors describe a case of onychomycosis by Paecilomyces lilacinus in an 81-year-old Caucasian woman. The infection was characterized clinically by yellow-brown discoloration of the nail plate, distal-lateral onycholysis and subungual hyperkeratosis of the first left toenail. Microscopic examination showed irregular hyphae. Four cultures showed the development of lilac and powdery colonies. Conidiophores with divergent long narrow terminal phialides were observed at microscopic examination of culture samples. Therapy with amorolofine nail laquer, itraconazole and terbinafine was uneffective. This is the sixth case published in the literature of Paecilomyces lilacinus onychomycosis, and the second Italian case of Paecilomyces lilacinus infection.

Two microbial isolates from oil polluted Red Sea water in Egypt, designated as RS-Y1 and RS-F3, were found capable of degrading Belayim mix (BX) crude oil. Strains RS-Y1 and RS-F3 were assigned to the genera Lipomyces tetrasporus and Paecilomyces variotii based on their morphological and physiological characteristics. Both isolates were compared for the biodegradation of crude petroleum-oil hydrocarbons in basal salt medium supplemented with 5% (w/v) of BX-crude oil. Gas chromatography profile showed that the biodegradation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) inoculated with L. tetrasporus (68.3%) and P. variotii (58.15%) along with their consortium (66%) significantly reduced TPHs levels as compared to the control after 30days. L. tetrasporus (44.5%) was more effective than P. variotii strain (32.89%) in reducing the unresolved complex mixtures (UCM) content from the medium. Both isolates exhibited a strong growth over a wide range of salinity (5-45g/L NaCl)., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To describe the clinical features and risk factors of and optimal antifungal therapy for Purpureocillium lilacinum keratitis., Design: Retrospective case series in a quaternary referral hospital setting., Methods: Comprehensive chart review of patients diagnosed with P. lilacinum keratitis in the past 10 years., Participants: Four patients were identified. All were aged 60 years or greater, with none having prior ocular trauma. Two had significant potential environmental exposure risks, and 3 were using systemic immunosuppressants for scleritis., Results: All cases received empirical treatment that included topical corticosteroids. Three were treated with combined oral, topical, and intracameral voriconazole, but developed endophthalmitis necessitating surgery with poor outcomes, including enucleation in 2. One case received combined oral and topical voriconazole with terbinafine, and maintained visual acuity without the need for surgery. All P. lilacinum isolates were susceptible to voriconazole., Conclusions: P. lilacinum keratitis is rare, with the major risk factor being immunosuppression. There may be no history of ocular trauma. Microbiological diagnosis and antifungal susceptibility testing is essential. Combination synergistic antifungal therapy with topical voriconazole and oral terbinafine, with addition of systemic voriconazole if needed, results in the best outcome., (Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Fungal infections like Paecilomyces keratitis have emerged in childhood recently. The diagnosis and treatment of Paecilomyces keratitis is difficult and the outcome is usually poor. Corneal culture should be performed on fungal media such as Sabouraud glucose neopeptone agar (SDA) as soon as possible for diagnosis. We report a rare case of Paecilomyces keratitis in an immunocompetent child, which was unresponsive to amphotericin B. The case was managed by a multidisciplinary approach involving the departments of ophthalmology, microbiology and pediatric infectious diseases. We want to draw attention once again that fungal keratitis caused by unusual agents are increasing. Physicians should consider fungal causes of keratitis, in patients with some predisposing factors like ocular surgery and prolonged use of topical corticosteroids., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest.

Ammonia (NH3) emissions from animal manure are a significant environmental and public concern. Despite the numerous studies regarding NH3 emissions from manure, few of them have considered microbial nitrification approaches, especially fungal nitrification. In this study, a filamentous fungus was isolated from chicken manure and was used for nitrification. The species was Paecilomyces variotii by morphological characteristics and 18S rDNA gene sequencing. It played the biggest role in the removal of ammonium at pH 4.0-7.0, C/N ratio of 10-40, temperature of 25-37°C, shaking speed of 150 rpm, and with glucose as the available carbon source. Further analysis revealed that all ammonium was removed when the initial ammonium concentration was less than 100 mg/L; 40% ammonium was removed when the initial ammonium concentration was 1100 mg/L. The results showed that the concentration of ammonia from chicken manure with strain Paecilomyces variotii was significantly lower than that in the control group. We concluded that Paecilomyces variotii has good potential for future applications in in situ ammonium removal as well as ammonia emissions control from poultry manure.

Objective: We attempted to obtain a fungus producing thermotolerant dextranase by screening samples from soil., Methods: The fungus producing thermotolerant dextranase was isolated and screened by auxotrophic medium, combined with Pour Plate method and Flat Transparent Circle method. The strain was identified by its colony, cell morphology and cultural characteristics, as well as ITS rDNA sequence analysis. The dextranase produced by the strain was characterized., Results: We obtained the strain DG001 producing thermotolerant dextranase, which was identified as Paecilomyces lilacinus. The optimum catalytic conditions for the dextranase were 55℃, pH 5.0, and the optimum substrate concentration was 5% dextran T70. The dextranase was stable below 60℃ and between pH 4.0 and 7.0. Urea, Mn2+ and Mg2+ could increase enzyme activity, and the low concentration of Mn2+ and Urea could increase enzyme activity to 116.91% and 110.14% respectively, whereas Cu2+ had a strong inhibitory effect on the dextranase. The dextranase, identified as endo-dextranase, hydrolyzed dextran T2000 with main products as isomalt and isomaltotriose. The enzyme-substrate affinity increased with the increasing substrate molecular weight., Conclusion: Strain DG001 producing thermotolerant dextranase was obtained through successful screening, bearing a high activity in a wide temperature range and a good thermal stability. This enzyme shows a promising prospect of application in sugar industry and in the preparation of different molecular weight dextran.

Fungal infection of the paranasal sinuses is an increasingly recognised entity, both in normal and immunocompromised individuals. The recent increase in mycotic nasal and paranasal infections is due to both improved diagnostic research and an increase in the conditions that favour fungal infection. Aspergillus, Candida, and Mucor species are the most common causative agents of fungal sinusitis, but infection with lesser known species have been reported across the world infrequently. This article reviews and presents a case report of chronic fungal sinusitis in an immunocompetent adult male infected with Paecilomyces variotii which is opportunistic soil saprophyte, uncommon to humans.

Nasonovia ribisnigri is a key pest of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in Brazil that requires alternative control methods to synthetic pesticides. We report, for the first time, the occurrence of Paecilomyces niveus as an entomopathogen of the aphid Nasonovia ribisnigri in Pinhais, Paraná, Brazil. Samples of mummified aphids were collected from lettuce crops. The fungus P. niveus (PaePR) was isolated from the insect bodies and identified by macro and micromorphology. The species was confirmed by sequencing Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) rDNA. We obtained a sequence of 528 bp (accession number HQ441751), which aligned with Byssochlamys nivea strains (100% identities). In a bioassay, 120 h after inoculation of N. ribisnigri with pathogenic P. niveus had an average mortality of 74%. The presence of P. niveus as a natural pathogen of N. ribisnigri in Brazil suggests that it may be possible to employ P. niveus to minimize the use of chemical insecticides.

Paecilomyces lilacinus is a filamentous fungus found in soil and air, which is a rare cause of ocular infection. The majority of case reports involving P. lilacinus among healthy hosts are of endophthalmitis and keratitis. We report a rare case of keratomycosis by P. lilacinus, in an immunocompetent, which responded well to treatment with ketoconazole. Some species belonging to the genus Paecilomyces such as P. lilacinus generally shows a poor response to conventional antifungal drugs. Therefore, correct identification of clinical isolates to the species level is mandatory for the appropriate treatment of the disease.

Emerging fungi resistant to triazoles are a concern because of the increased use of medical triazoles and exposure to agricultural triazoles. However, little is known about the levels of triazole susceptibility in outdoor airborne fungi making it difficult to assess the risks of inhalation exposure to airborne, antifungal-resistant fungi. This study examined triazole susceptibilities of the airborne thermotolerant fungi isolated from the ambient air of the Seoul Capital Area of South Korea. We used impactor air sampling with triazole-containing nutrient agar plates as the collection substrates to screen for airborne fungal isolates based on their triazole susceptibilities. This study estimated that 0.17% of all the culturable fungi belong to the pathogenic thermotolerant taxa, among which each isolate of Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus tubingensis showed a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2 μg/mL or greater for itraconazole. Their concentration in air was 0.4 CFU/m3. Seven human pathogenic Paecilomyces variotii isolates had MICs of 32 μg/mL or greater and lower than 2 μg/mL for the agricultural fungicide tebuconazole and the medical triazole itraconazole, respectively. Though the concentration was low, our results confirm the presence of airborne fungi with high MICs for itraconazole in ambient air. Inhalation is an important exposure route because people inhale more than 10 m3 of air each day. Vigilance is preferred over monitoring for the emergence of triazole-resistant fungal pathogens in ambient outdoor air.

A 74-year-old woman developed a deep keratitis presenting with an endothelial plaque without overlying stromal involvement. Owing to the characteristic clinical appearance, she was provisionally diagnosed with a Paecilomyces sp. keratitis. Corneal scrapings and aqueous humour samples were culture negative. The difficulties in diagnosing Paecilomyces sp. keratitis are discussed. The patient's keratitis was managed with a combination of topical, oral and intracameral injections of voriconazole. This medical management strategy was successful in achieving good infection control and visual outcome. We report a rarely encountered presentation of keratitis in which the clinical appearance and response to voriconazole are highly suggestive evidence of a Paecilomyces sp. keratitis. We believe the combination of topical, oral and intracameral injections of voriconazole represents a novel treatment approach for Paecilomyces sp. keratitis. Our case supports the potential for a medical approach as initial treatment in this otherwise devastating form of oculomycosis., (2015 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.)

Paecilomyces variotii has previously been reported as a causative pathogen for peritonitis in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and shown to be usually sensitive to amphotericin B and resistant to voriconazole. We report the first case, to our knowledge, of P. variotii peritonitis in a liver transplant patient, which was unresponsive to initial liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB) treatment and resolved dramatically after the addition of voriconazole. The present case provides evidence for the clinical and microbiological effectiveness of voriconazole combined with L-AmB in treating P. variotii peritonitis refractory to initial L-AmB treatment.

Background: Purpureocillium lilacinum eye infections (previously called Paecilomyces lilacinus) make up a significant percentage of the recorded cases of infection by this fungus, and is considered as an emerging pathogen., Aims: To report a case of ocular mycosis in a patient aged 70, with a double corneal transplantation in the right eye, and exhibiting a poor response to antifungal and surgical treatment., Methods: Corneal ring and ocular tissues obtained by surgical procedures were cultured in common mycological media. Molecular identification of the isolated fungus was obtained., Results: Colonies of a filamentous fungus were obtained, and according to the macroscopic and microscopic morphology it was identified as P. lilacinum. The identification was confirmed by molecular methods in a reference laboratory., Conclusions: Eye infections due to P. lilacinum are rare but serious diseases that requires rapid diagnostic and therapeutic measures to enable visual function to recover., (Copyright © 2013 Revista Iberoamericana de Micología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)

Food waste collected from restaurants, convenience stores, and food-processing factories was mixed with sawdust and subjected to hydrothermal pretreatment at 180°C for 30min to prepare compost raw material. Furan compounds such as 5-HMF (5-hydroxymethyl furfural) and furfural were produced at concentration levels of approximately 8 and 0.5mg/g-ds, respectively, through hydrothermal pretreatment. The furan compounds inhibited the activity of composting microorganisms, thus delaying the start of organic matter degradation during composting. A newly identified fungus, Paecilomyces sp. FA13, which possesses the ability to degrade furan compounds, was isolated and used as an inoculum for the composting of the raw material prepared by hydrothermal pretreatment. By inoculating the FA13 into the compost raw material at 10(5)CFU/g-ds, the degradation of furan compounds was accelerated. As a result, bacterial activity, which contributed to composting, was enhanced, significantly promoting the start of vigorous degradation of organic materials., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To represent the advances of Russia and Uzbekistan in studying the problem of paecilomycosis. The goal of the investigation was to develop the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary paecilomycosis (PP)., Subjects and Methods: Two hundred and twenty-five people, including 200 patients with bronchopulmonary infection with fungi of the Paecilomyces genus and 25 clinically healthy individuals (a control group), were examined. Clinico-anamnestic, laboratory diagnostic, mycological, and immunological studies were conducted; a lymphocyte antigen-binding test was used for differential diagnosis. Paecilomyces infection was diagnosed by microscopically examining the morphology of the fungi in the pathological material (blood, sputum) and by isolating the cultured fungi in the media (Sabouraud's and Czapek's ones). The severe complication of PP - atypical paecilomycosis-associated myocarditis (APAM) - was studied in 112 patients with helminthiasis-complicated paecilomycosis. These patients underwent using the conventional echocardiography., Results: Bronchopulmonary paecilomycosis resulting from primary and secondary infection with fungi of the Paecilomyces genus was clinically manifested as chronic obstructive bronchitis (11.5%), recurrent pneumonia (13.5%), exogenous allergic alveolitis (37%), and asthma (26%) complicated by helminthiasis (12%). Iodine deficiency promotes the prevalence of paecilomycosis and echinococcosis favors Paecilomycosis infection; moreover, the helminth capsule itself serves as a nutrient medium for the development of the mycelial form of the fungus. APAM is a severe complication of PP. Almost 50% of the patients with PP presented with carditis. The patients with APAM occasionally experienced fear and the most severe intermittent pain. The latter first occurred in the chest.and irradiated to the axilla, left hand, and its fingertips, paralyzing the arm. In some patients, the pain manifested itself in both arms with abdominal irradiation, by being accompanied by faints. Current analgesics (meloxicam, tizanidine, nimesulide, morphine, promedole) in combination with fluconazole provided a temporary positive effect., Conclusion: Further investigations that must also include neurologists and anesthetists are required to work out effective pain relief regimens for APAM in patients with PP.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to review a series of consecutive cases of corneal and scleral infection by Paecilomyces spp. and to identify features of clinical presentation and assess treatment modalities., Methods: This retrospective review of a case series included 22 patients with nontraumatic Paecilomyces anterior segment infections who were seen in a tertiary referral practice. Outcome measures were the number of eyes that were lost and visual acuity in eyes that were saved., Results: Twenty-two patients with Paecilomyces corneal or scleral infection with no significant history of trauma or surgery were identified over a 20-year period. Two distinct clinical presentations were noted with 17 presenting with corneal infection and 5 initially presenting with scleral infection, and all demonstrated a classical endothelial plaque and deep stromal infiltrate. Almost all required single or multiple anterior segment reconstructive surgeries together with systemic and topical antifungal agents. The first 10 patients were treated with amphotericin B, whereas the remaining 12 patients were treated with voriconazole and 21 of 22 patients underwent surgery. Paecilomyces spp. was identified from most intraocular specimens although corneal fungal growth was noted only from deep corneal biopsies or corneal buttons removed during corneal transplantation. Outcomes were better in the last 12 patients treated with voriconazole., Conclusions: Nontraumatic Paecilomyces anterior segment infection presents with a pathognomonic clinical picture when the cornea is the initial site of infection and later in scleral infections. Early identification and aggressive treatment with extirpative surgery and voriconazole may result in retention of the eye with useful vision.

Paecilomyces species are emerging fungal pathogens. Morphological identifications are complicated by similarities among the members of the P. variotii complex as well as to some Rasamsonia and Hamigera species. The purpose of this study was to compare matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) with molecular diagnostic standards (i.e., multilocus DNA sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2, D1/D2 regions, and part of the β-tubulin gene) for the identification of Paecilomyces spp. encountered in two clinical mycology laboratories. A total of 77 clinical isolates identified morphologically as P. variotii (n = 21), P. lilacinus (n = 52), and Paecilomyces spp. not otherwise specified (n = 4) were included. In accord with the most recent taxonomy, all P. lilacinus isolates were confirmed as Purpureocillium lilacinum by both sequencing and MALDI-TOF MS. Fungi phenotypically resembling P. variotii or Paecilomyces spp. were identified by molecular techniques as P. variotii sensu stricto (n = 12), P. formosus (n = 3), P. dactylethromorphus (n = 3), Rasamsonia argillacea (n = 4), or R. piperina (n = 1) and at the genus level as an isolate of a Hamigera sp. and a Paecilomyces sp. There was 92.2% (71/77) agreement between the molecular and proteomic methods only after supplementation of the MALDI-TOF MS database with type strains. Paecilomyces variotii-like organisms required multilocus DNA interrogations for differentiation and account for all of the fungi whose identification was missed by MALDI-TOF MS. Overall, MALDI-TOF MS was a rapid and reliable alternative to multilocus sequencing. However, significant augmentation of the commercially available database was required to reproducibly identify this group of important human pathogens., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Purpose: To report a case of successful medical treatment with oral posaconazole in refractory fungal keratitis caused by Paecilomyces lilacinus., Methods: Case report., Results: A 57-year-old male, soft contact lens wearer presented with irritation, pain, photophobia, and reduced vision. Slit-lamp examination showed a large corneal epithelial defect with a peripheral infiltrate. The patient did not improve on fortified topical antibiotics. After the diagnosis of P. lilacinus fungal keratitis, oral voriconazole and topical antifungal therapy were started. Despite antifungal therapy, progressive disease required therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty. Postoperatively, because of clinical signs of recurrence and in vivo confocal microscopy findings of presumed hyphae in the cornea, intracameral miconazole was injected and oral posaconazole was started. The patient improved and demonstrated no hyphae 6 weeks after starting posaconazole. When posaconazole was stopped, the cornea remained clear with excellent acuity. However, because of acute graft rejection 2 months after stopping posaconazole, keratoprosthesis was implanted, with no evidence of infection at surgery or during the 3.5-year follow-up., Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the use of oral posaconazole for Paecilomyces keratitis. Posaconazole might be indicated in the treatment of refractory Paecilomyces keratitis that is resistant to conventional therapy.

Removal of textile dyestuffs from aqueous solution by biosorption onto a dead fungal biomass isolated from acidic mine drainage in the Çanakkale Region of Turkey was investigated. The fungus was found to be a promising biosorbent and identified as Paecilomyces sp. The optimal conditions for bioremediation were as follows: pH, 2.0; initial dyestuff concentration, 50 mg l(-1) for Reactive Yellow 85 and Reactive Orange 12, and 75 mg l(-1) for Reactive Black 8; biomass dosage, 2 g l(-1) for Reactive Yellow 85, 3 g l(-1) for Reactive Orange 12, 4 g l(-1) for Reactive Black 8; temperature, 25 °C; and agitation rate, 100 rpm. Zeta potential measurements indicated an electrostatic interaction between the binding sites and dye anions. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that amine, hydroxyl, carbonyl, and amide bonds were involved in the dyestuff biosorption. A toxicity investigation was also carried out before and after the biosorption process. These results showed that the toxicities for the reactive dyestuffs in aqueous solutions after biosorption studies decreased. The Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption models were used for the mathematical description of the biosorption equilibrium, and isotherm constants were evaluated for each dyestuff. Equilibrium data of biosorption of RY85 and RO12 dyestuffs fitted well to both models at the studied concentration and temperature.

Background: Hyalohyphomycosis is a rare opportunistic fungal infection caused by saprophytes of genera such as Fusarium, Paecilomyces, Scedosporium, Penicillium, Scopulariopsis Acremonium, and similar fungi. The literature includes only one previous report of Paecilomyces variotii human infection and very few reports of subcutaneous mycosis caused by any of the hyalohyphomycosis group of fungi., Methods: We report an instance of fungal infection in a 50-year-old woman, known to have diabetes, who presented with multiple raised lesions on the upper back of two years' duration. Dermatological examination revealed a 20 × 22-cm, swollen, indurated area on the upper back with multiple violaceous, exophytic nodules on the surface., Results: Microscopy from pus and tissue smear revealed septate branching fungi. Periodic acid Schiff (PAS) stain was positive for fungal elements. Culture on three occasions yielded P. variotii. Slide culture mounts showed septate hyaline hyphae of P. variotii with elongated phialides demonstrating bulbous bases and tapering apices attached to the conidiophores. The patient was treated with itraconazole, to which she responded well., Conclusions: This is the first reported case of subcutaneous hyalohyphomycosis caused by P. variotii. It appears that this relatively rare fungal pathogen may be starting to assert itself as an important cause of infection in humans., (© 2013 The International Society of Dermatology.)