MYCOVIRO| MYCOLOGY AND VIROLOGY April 07, 2022

(Unified Synchronous Discussion)

Opportunistic Mycoses
Discussion/PPT Notes from other trances/readings Additional notes**

Opportunistic Mycoses ◼ Colonies are incubated with 5mL fetal

bovine plasma or serum and is
- Opportunistic mycoses are majorly caused by observed for growth.
saprophytic fungi, which are described as a free- ◼ Germ tube positive (+) includes
living microorganisms in the environment that Candia albicans and Candida
are not typically of concern in human disease dubliniensis
CANDIDA ALBICANS ◼ Formation of pseudogerm tubes is
characteristic of Candida tropicalis
- Most common yeast isolates
- A normal flora of the mucous membranes lining
the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and female
genital tracts.
- Predisposition of infection includes burns, DM,
wounds, antimicrobial therapy, pregnancy,
leukemia, and immune problems.
- Most adult infections are endogenous whereas
infants acquire infections exogenously.
- Disease caused: • Chrom Agar
• Candidiasis or Moniliasis ◼ Medium that differentiates Candida
- Clinical Findings: spp.
• Mucocutaneous involvement includes ◼ Greenish colony is Candida albicans
Thrush (can either genital or oral), vaginitis, ◼ Bluish colony is Candida tropicalis
and balanitis. ◼ Pink to purple colony is Candida
• Cutaneous include Dermatitis, Diaper glabarata
rash, and Onchomycosis ◼ Colonies that are broad with white
• Systemic involvement includes edges are for Candida krusei.
endocarditis, UTI, Meningitis, and ◼ Candida parapsilosis and Candida
Septicemia guillermondii resembles others

- Laboratory Findings
• SDA Culture with Antimicrobials →
Resistant to Cycloheximide. • Dalmau Agar
◼ Enhances the goth of hyphae.
◼ Candida albicans grows Christmas
Tree-like fungal colony

• Incubation environment:
◼ 25-30 degrees Celsius are rapid
growers (1-2 days)
• Cornmeal Agar with Tween 80
◼ Enhancement media for Candida • Urease Test
albicans that stimulates production of ◼ All are Urease test positive (+) except
chlamydiospores Candida krusei
• Inositol Test
◼ All Candida spp. are positive for
Inositol

• Germ Tube Test CRYPTOCOCCUS NEOFORMANS

◼ Presumptive test for Candida - Associated with pigeon droppings
albicans - Unique for the presence of capsules.

ANGELEI MARIZ C. MARTINEZ 3RD YEAR; 2ND SEMESTER

MYCOVIRO| MYCOLOGY AND VIROLOGY April 07, 2022
(Unified Synchronous Discussion)
Opportunistic Mycoses
Discussion/PPT Notes from other trances/readings Additional notes**

- Extremely difficult to differentiate with ◼ Cryptococcus neoformans have

Cryptococcus gattii brown, black colonies and only from
- Disease Caused: blastoconidia.
• Cryptococcosis
- Mode of Transmission
• Inhalation
- Clinical Findings • H & E staining (CSF or Biopsy)
• An important cause of fungal meningitis. ◼ Exhibits capsules
• Can also cause mild to moderate
pulmonary involvement.
• Major cause of opportunistic infection in
patients with AIDS.
• Phenoloxidase Test
◼ Cryptococcus neoformans are
Phenoloxidase Test positive (+)
• Urease Test
- Laboratory Findings: ◼ Cryptococcus neoformans are
• India Ink or Nigrosin (CSF) Urease Test positive (+)
◼ Stain used to exhibit capsules of • Inositol Test
Cryptococcus neoformans. ◼ Cryptococcus neoformans can
utilize inositol
• Nitrite Reduction Test
◼ Cryptococcus neoformans are
• Incubation Environment (CSF) Nitrite Reduction Test negative (-)
◼ 22 to 25 degrees Celsius or in room
PNEUMOCYSTIS JIROVECII
temperature and have mucoid
colonies. - An important cause of infection in
immunocompromised patients.
- Considered as one of the AIDS defining
infections by the CDC.
- Disease Caused:
• Clinical Microscopy Laboratory • Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia (PCP)
◼ Starburst pattern of CSF upon standing in AIDS patients.
is characteristic Cryptococcal
meningitis.

- Laboratory Diagnosis:
• Specimen: BAL
• CALAS (CSF or Serum) • Stain: Silver stains
◼ Serologic diagnostic tool for
Cryptococcal meningitis
◼ CALAS test positive (+) agglutination
ASPERGILLUS FUMIGATUS

- Can affect the skin, heart, lung, and CNS

• Birdseed/ Nigerseed/ Staib Agar/ Caffeic
Agar
◼ Detects the ability of the organism to
produce phenol oxidase.
- Disease Caused: Primary Aspergillosis
- Clinical Findings:
• Aspergillus fumigatus is the most
important and common isolate of the genus
that causes Aspergillosis.

ANGELEI MARIZ C. MARTINEZ 3RD YEAR; 2ND SEMESTER

MYCOVIRO| MYCOLOGY AND VIROLOGY April 07, 2022
(Unified Synchronous Discussion)
Opportunistic Mycoses
Discussion/PPT Notes from other trances/readings Additional notes**

• Aspergillus niger cause otomycosis which • Direct Microscopy

is a superficial mycotic infection of the outer ◼ Canoe or banana-shaped
ear canal. macroconidia that appears singly or in
clusters (sporodochia)

- Laboratory Diagnosis:
• SabHi Medium PAECILOMYCES SPP.
◼ Used to differentiate and identify
species of Aspergillus. - Laboratory Diagnosis:
◼ Observe growth within 2 days. • Direct Microscopy
◼ Aspergillus niger yellow to black with ◼ Singly formed or arranged in a
yellow colonies in reverse verticillate pattern on which long chains
of spindle-shaped or somewhat
cylindrical conidia are formed.

◼ Aspergillus flavus green to brown

with red brown colonies in reverse.
ALTERNARIA SPP.

- Laboratory Diagnosis:
◼ Aspergillus terreus green to yellow • Direct microscopy:
with yellow colonies in reverse. ◼ Short conidiospores bearing conidia in
chains that lengthens in an acropetal
fashion.

◼ Aspergillus clavatus blue to green

with white colonies in reverse.
◼ Multicelled conidia have angular cross
walls and taper toward the distal end.

◼ Aspergillus fumigatus green to gray

with tan colonies in reverse.
TRICHOSPORON ASAHII

- Most important specie of the genus.

- Implicated in severe and frequently fatal disease
FUSARIUM SPP. in immunocompromised hosts.
- Present itself as a multidrug-resistant emerging
- Large genus of soil fungi widely distributed to fungal infection.
soil.
GEOTRICHUM SPP.
- Most species are saprobes
- Disease caused: Mycotic Keratitis - Clinical Findings:
- Laboratory Diagnosis: • Implicated in pulmonary disease in
• Specimen: immunocompromised patient.
◼ Ocular scrapings - Laboratory Diagnosis:
• Direct Microscopy
◼ Abundant arthroconidia

ANGELEI MARIZ C. MARTINEZ 3RD YEAR; 2ND SEMESTER