Aspergillus flavus Link ex Grey

On Czapek Dox agar, colonies are granu-

lar, flat, often with radial grooves, yellow
at first but quickly becoming bright to dark
yellow-green with age. Conidial heads
are typically radiate, later splitting to form
loose columns (mostly 300-400 µm in di-
ameter), biseriate but having some heads
with phialides borne directly on the vesi-
cle (uniseriate). Conidiophore stipes are
hyaline and coarsely roughened, often
more noticeable near the vesicle. Conid-
ia are globose to subglobose (3-6 µm in
diameter), pale green and conspicuously
echinulate. Some strains produce brown-
ish sclerotia.

A. flavus has a world-wide distribution and

normally occurs as a saprophyte in soil
and on many kinds of decaying organic
matter, however, it is also a recognised
pathogen of humans and animals. RG-2
organism.

Key Features: spreading yellow-green

colonies, rough-walled stipes, mature
vesicles bearing phialides over their en-
tire surface and conspicuously echinulate
conidia.

MIC µg/mL
Antifungal
Range MIC90
Amphotericin B 0.06->8 4
Itraconazole 0.03-8 0.5
Voriconazole 0.03-2 0.5
Posaconazole 0.03-1 0.5
Anidulafungin <0.03-0.125 nd
Caspofungin <0.03->8 nd
Espinel-Ingroff et al. (2001), Pfaller et 10mm 10μm
al. (2002a), Diekema et al. (2003), Es-
pinel-Ingroff (2001, 2003), Serrano et al. Culture and conidial head of A. flavus.
(2003), Cuenca-Estrella et al. (2006), Note: rough-walled stipe near vesicle (ar-
Sabatelli et al. (2006). MIC90s from Aus- row) and that both uniseriate and biseriate
tralian clinical isolates (nd = not done). conidial heads may be present.
 Aspergillus fumigatus Fresenius

On Czapek Dox agar, colonies show typi-

cal blue-green surface pigmentation with
a suede-like surface consisting of a dense
felt of conidiophores. Conidial heads are
typically columnar (up to 400 x 50 µm
but often much shorter and smaller) and
uniseriate. Conidiophore stipes are short,
smooth-walled and have conical-shaped
terminal vesicles which support a single
row of phialides on the upper two thirds
of the vesicle. Conidia are produced in
basipetal succession forming long chains
and are globose to subglobose (2.5-3.0
µm in diameter), green and rough-walled
to echinulate. Note: This species is ther-
motolerant and grows at temperatures up
to 55OC.

A. fumigatus is truly a cosmopolitan mould

and has been found almost everywhere
on every conceivable type of substrate. It
is an important pathogen of humans and
animals. RG-2 organism.

Key Features: uniseriate and columnar

conidial heads with the phialides limited
to the upper two thirds of the vesicle and
curving to be roughly parallel to each
other.

MIC µg/mL
Antifungal
Range MIC90
Amphotericin B 0.03->8 2
Itraconazole <0.03->16 0.5
Voriconazole <0.03-8 0.25
Posaconazole <0.03-2 0.125
Anidulafungin <0.03-0.125 nd
Caspofungin 0.015->8 nd 10mm
10=μm
Espinel-Ingroff et al. (2001), Pfaller et
al. (2002a), Diekema et al. (2003), Es-
pinel-Ingroff (2001, 2003), Serrano et al. Culture and conidial head morphology of
(2003), Cuenca-Estrella et al. (2006), A. fumigatus. Note: uniseriate row of phial-
Sabatelli et al. (2006). MIC90s from Aus- ides on the upper two thirds of the vesicle.
tralian clinical isolates (nd = not done).