Aspergillus fumigatus and related species.
The genus Aspergillus contains etiologic agents of aspergillosis. The clinical manifestations of the disease range from allergic reaction to invasive pulmonary infection. Among the pathogenic aspergilli, Aspergillus fumigatus is most ubiquitous in the environment and is the major cause of the disease, followed by Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus nidulans, and several species in the section Fumigati that morphologically resemble A. fumigatus. Patients that are at risk for acquiring aspergillosis are those with an altered immune system. Early diagnosis, species identification, and adequate antifungal therapy are key elements for treatment of the disease, especially in cases of pulmonary invasive aspergillosis that often advance very rapidly. Incorporating knowledge of the basic biology of Aspergillus species to that of the diseases that they cause is fundamental for further progress in the field.
Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Janyce A
JA
Sugui
Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Kyung J
KJ
Kwon-Chung
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27715.
Praveen R
PR
Juvvadi
Unité des Aspergillus, Institut Pasteur, Paris 75724, France.
Jean-Paul
JP
Latgé
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27715 Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
William J
WJ
Steinbach
D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000145:classification* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D055744:Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*