Phoma Infections: Classification, Potential Food Sources, and Their Clinical Impact

Abstract

Phoma species are phytopathogens that are widely distributed in the environment, most commonly found in aquatic systems and soil. Phoma spp. have the potential to be pathogenic in plants, animals and humans; the latter is a rare occurrence. However, as our immunocompromised population increases, so do the reports of these infections. Medical advances have allowed for the increase in solid organ transplantation; chemotherapies to treat malignancies; and the use of other immunosuppressive agents, which have resulted in a greater population at risk when exposed to diverse fungi including Phoma spp. These fungi have been isolated from water sources, food, and crops; thus acting as opportunistic pathogens when the right host is exposed. Phoma spp. contaminates common food sources such as potatoes and maize, a common species isolated being Phoma sorghina. Though there is potential for causing infection via consumption of contaminated foods, there is insufficient data detailing what levels of organism can lead to an infection, and a regulated process for detecting the organism. The spectrum of disease is wide, depending on the host, ranging from cutaneous infections to invasive diseases. Mortality, however, remains low.

Two new species of Gloniopsis (Hysteriales, Ascomycota) from clinical specimens: Morphological and molecular characterisation

“…In the last few years, coelomycetous fungi have become of greater clinical importance as opportunistic pathogens and being more commonly identified in clinical laboratories . Although identification by molecular assays is now easier and more available for clinical laboratories, misidentification of these fungi still occurs since they do not sporulate and there are not enough ITS sequences in the public databases for comparisons.…”

“…In the last few years, coelomycetous fungi have become of greater clinical importance as opportunistic pathogens and being more commonly identified in clinical laboratories. 5,[37][38][39] Although identification by molecular assays is now easier and more available for clinical laboratories, misidentification of these fungi still occurs since they do not sporulate and there are not enough ITS sequences in the public databases for comparisons. For this reason, more taxonomic studies providing further molecular data are necessary so that the clinicians have a more accurate identification when morphological analysis is not possible, as often occurs with the genera Phoma and Pyrenochaeta, for example.…”

Citizen science project reveals high diversity in Didymellaceae (Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes)

“…Didymellaceae species from soil always produce diverse metabolites, some of which can be cytotoxic, including cytochalasin A and B, deoxaphomin, proxiphomin and tenuazonic acid (Bennett et al 2018). Currently, most Didymellaceae species thus far found in the soil environment were originally described from plant substrates, such as leaves, seedlings, wood, stem bases or roots, some of which are even capable of wood decay (Boerema et al 2004;Aveskamp et al 2008Aveskamp et al , 2010Chen et al 2015).…”

Effect of Animal Manure on the Incidence and Severity of Leaf Spot Disease of Fluted Pumpkin (<i>Telfairia occidentalis</i>) in Dschang, West Region of Cameroon

“…This species being the most common isolated is an opportunistic invasive phytopathogen which causes infection in animals and humans via consumption of contaminated food. The first proven infected human case was in 1956; it was a subcutaneous lesion in a post-renal transplant patient; next case was a young Canadian farmer with skin lesions on her lower extremity [9]. According to this same author, 32 cases of infection with age range from one month to 77 years old with three pediatric cases (9.4%).…”

“…were eye related and three cases (9.4%) involved the lungs. This pathogen produces cytotoxic metabolites like tenuazonic acid which causes acute toxicity in humans such as precancerous changes in esophageal mucosa in mice [9]. More so, this disease is known to drastically reduce the market value and the storage duration of Fluted Pumpkin, on a scale ranging from 0 to 11 (that is from a state of no disease to that of very severe, which measure up to over 80% damage) [10].…”