title: Fusarium musae infected banana fruits as potential source of human fusariosis: May occur more frequently than we might think and hypotheses about infection.
abstract: The banana fruit infecting fungus Fusarium musae was originally known as a distinct population within Fusarium verticillioides. However, recently, Fusarium musae was installed as a separate species and the first cases of human infection associated with Fusarium musae were found. In this article, we report an additional survey indicating that human pathogenic Fusarium musae infections may occur more frequently than we might think. Moreover, we evaluate the hypotheses on how infection can be acquired. A first hypothesis is that banana fruits act as carriers of Fusarium musae spores and thereby be the source of human infection with Fusarium musae. Acquisition is likely to be caused through contact with Fusarium musae contaminated banana fruits, either being imported or after traveling of the patient to a banana-producing country. An alternative hypothesis is that Fusarium musae is not only present on banana fruits, but also on other plant hosts or environmental sources.
authors.affiliation: Service of Mycology and Aerobiology, BCCM/IHEM Fungal Collection, Scientific Institute of Public Health , Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Triest
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Piérard
authors.affiliation: Service of Health and Environment, Scientific Institute of Public Health , Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: De Cremer
authors.affiliation: Service of Mycology and Aerobiology, BCCM/IHEM Fungal Collection, Scientific Institute of Public Health , Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marijke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hendrickx
keywords: Fusarium musae; biogeography; clinical cases; human infection; imported banana fruits