Aspergillus fumigatus
On Czapek dox agar, colonies show typical 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 um but often much shorter and smaller) and uniseriate. Conidiophores 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 um in diameter), green and rough-walled. Note: this species is thermotolerant and grows at temperatures up to 55C. RG-2 organism.
Culture of Aspergillus fumigatus.
Conidial head of A. fumigatus
(Note: uniseriate row of phialides on the upper two thirds of the vesicle).
MIC data is limited. Antifungal susceptibility testing of individual strains is recommended.
| Antifungal | MIC ug/mL | Antifungal | MIC ug/mL |
||
Range |
MIC90 |
Range |
MIC90 |
||
| Itraconazole | 0.03->16 |
0.5 |
Amphotericin B | 0.03->8 |
2 |
| Voriconazole | 0.03-8 |
0.25 |
Anidulafungin | 0.03-0.125 |
nd |
| Posaconazole | 0.03-2 |
0.125 |
Caspofungin | 0.015->8 |
nd |
Clinical significance:
Aspergillus fumigatus is truly a cosmopolitan mould and has been found almost everywhere on every conceivable type of substrate, especially soil and decaying organic debris. A. fumigatus is an important human pathogen and it is the most common cause of all forms of invasive and non-invasive aspergillosis.
Mycosis: Aspergillosis
Further reading:
De Hoog G.S. and J Guarro. 1995. Atlas of clinical fungi. Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Baarn and Delft, The Netherlands.
Kwon-Chung, K.J. and J.E. Bennett. 1992. Medical Mycology. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia and London.
