Engyodontium album fungaemia: the first reported case

Abstract

Opportunistic mycoses have been increasingly observed among immunocompromised patients. We describe a case in which Engyodontium album was isolated and cultured from the blood of a patient with the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. E. album grew at 37ºC and showed proteinase activity, both indicators of pathogenicity. This is the first time that this organism has been reported as agent of fungaemia.Key words: Engyodontium album, fungaemia, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Opportunistic mycoses have been increasingly observed in immuno-compromised patients. Engyodontium album is an unusual pathogen but a rather common inhabitant of waste or moist material and can be isolated from substrates such as paper, jute, linen, and painted walls. Its dispersal is by dry, hygrophobic conidia and can be isolated from house air (1).E. album used to be included in the genus Beauveria (10). Limber (7) then included it in a new genus, Tritirachium, but since 1972 a new genus Engyodontium has been created which includes two species, E. album and E. parvisporum (3). Infections involving E. album include eczema vesiculosum (4), granulomatous skin lesions, brain abscess (9) Direct examination was performed without clarifying and staining clinical samples. Subcultures were prepared using Sabouraud dextrose agar plus chloranphenicol (Difco Laboratories) incubated at 30ºC and 35ºC in an aerobic atmosphere for 15 days. Pure cultures were transferred onto the surface of potato dextrose agar medium to taxonomic identification (5,6).Preliminary pathogenicity tests were carried out through proteinase detection using casein and gelatin as substrates (6). The isolated fungus was inoculated on the referred culture medium, incubated at room temperature and at 37ºC in order to detect the formation of a transparent halo, and observed for 10 to 15 days. When a transparent zone occurred, the result was considered positive, regardless the diameter.Direct examination revealed septation of hyaline hyphae. Macroscopically the colonies were floccose, white, and 24 mm in diameter. The reverse of the colony was colorless. Microscopic examination showed narrow vegetative hyphae which were 1 to 2 µm wide, bearing fertile hyphae which were 2 to 4 µm wide and apically dichotomously branched, bearing conidiogenous cells in whorls of one to three. Conidiogenous cells consisted of an elongated cylindrical structure with a well-developed rachis with denticles. Conidia were hyaline, smooth, and globose (Fig. 1). The organism was identified as E. album according to the

Characterisation of the Mycobiota on the Shell Surface of Table Eggs Acquired from Different Egg-Laying Hen Breeding Systems

“…This species was also isolated from the eggs with the mycoflora native to the deep litter system. Although E. album has not been reported to be mycotoxigenic, its spores and mycelium can cause infections in humans causing brain abscess and keratitis [ 21 ]. In the present study, the conditions in a henhouse with the cage system resulted in low fungal diversity on the eggshell surface.…”

Mycotic keratitis due to Engyodontium album: First case report from India

“…E. album secretes extracellular enzymes such as proteinase and keratinolase [6] and can cause fungemia, endocarditis, brain abscess and eczema vesiculosum. [7,8] This proves the pathogenic nature of the fungus. It is an unusual pathogen but is a rather common inhabitant of waste and moist material, relatively frequently being isolated from substrates such as paper, jute, linen, and painted walls.…”

Detection of human pathogenic Fusarium species in hospital and communal sink biofilms by using a highly specific monoclonal antibody

“…This is the first time, to our knowledge, that a mAb‐based detection method has been used to track Fusarium in environmental samples. The mAb was able to differentiate Fusarium from a wide spectrum of unrelated fungi, including the human pathogens Aspergillus (Thornton and Wills, ), Candida , Geotrichum , Rhodotorula and Trichosporon (Miceli et al ., ; Davies and Thornton, ), Cyphellophora and Phialophora (Feng et al ., ), Exophiala (Zeng et al ., ), Trichoderma (Sandoval‐Denis et al ., ), Engyodontium (Macêdo et al ., ; Thamke et al ., ) and Mucor (Petrikkos et al ., ), several of which have been reported previously to inhabit biofilms in water distribution systems (Dogget, ). The 100% accuracy of the ED7 ELISA, confirmed by using ITS sequencing and TEF PCR analysis of recovered isolates, demonstrates its robustness in detecting potentially infectious Fusarium species in polymicrobial communities.…”