Scopulariopsis - another nasty

[Guest guest]

This is the fungi that was found in Atlanta's Air Traffic Control

Tower according to the article that was posted a couple of days ago.

Lovely, fly the friendly skys, no wonder why we have delays.

KC

http://www.doctorfungus.org/thefungi/Scopulariopsis.htm

Species

The genus Scopulariopsis is unique in that it contains both

moniliaceous (hyaline) and dematiaceous species, with several being

clinically significant. The most common species is S. brevicaulis, a

hyaline mould. Other non-pigmented species include S. candida, which

remains white at maturity rather than becoming buff-colored, S.

koningii, S. acremonium, and S. flava. Dematiaceous or phaeoid

members include S. cinerea, the anamorph of Microascus cinereus, S.

trigonospora, the anamorph of M. trigonosporus, the Scopulariopsis

anamorph of M. cirrosus, S. brumptii, S. chartarum, S. fusca, and S.

asperula.

Pathogenicity and Clinical Significance

Scopulariopsis spp. may cause various infections in humans [531]. It

is among the fungi that cause onychomycosis especially of the toe

nails. Skin lesions, mycetoma, invasive sinusitis [1252], keratitis,

endophthalmitis, pulmonary infections, endocarditis [1534, 1593],

brain abscess [152, 963] and disseminated infections due to

Scopulariopsis spp. have been reported. Invasive Scopulariopsis

infections are seen mainly in immunocompromised hosts, such as bone

marrow transplant recipients. These infections are highly mortal

[1581, 1629].

One of the most striking features of Scopulariopsis brevicaulis is

its association with human deaths by producing arsine gas from

arsenate dyes found in wallpapers. Arsenic is a minor constituent of

soil. Volatilization and methylation of dimethylarsinic acid and

methylation of arsenate and arsenite naturally occur in soil. These

bicohemical reactions end up with production of trimethylarsine and

dimethylarsine. Arsenic is found in pesticides as well; the

currently used ones are methylarsonic acid and dimethylarsinic

(cacodylic) acid pesticides. Arsine is the most toxic form of

arsenic. At concentrations above 0.5 ppm, it has a garlic-like odor.

However, it is toxic at concentrations much lower than this.

The whole story started when arsenate dyes were formulated to be

used in wallpapers. The most famous of these dyes was Schweinfurter

green, one of several green copper-arsenic dyes that were

manufactured and incorporated into wallpapers in 1810s. Following

the widespread use of these green wallpapers in Germany, France, and

other countries, two things drew attention: A garlic odor in some

rooms with these wallpapers and the death of people who slept in

these rooms. These people got sick and died secondary to tubular

necrosis and renal failure. In 1897, the Italian chemist B. Gosio

showed that the deaths were due to the production of a gas which

could not then be identified. This gas was thus called Gosio gas.

This gas was produced by Penicillium brevicaulum, the mould fungus

today known as Scopulariopsis brevicaulis. The whole story was

clarified by Frederick Challenger in 1945 when he identified the gas

as trimethylarsine. We today know the whole mechanism of the

production of this gas. Scopulariopsis brevicaulis consumes the

starch found in the wallpaper paste. Meanwhile, the fungus converts

the arsenate found in the paper to trimethylarsine oxide. Finally,

the oxide is reduced to trimethylarsine and the gas, which is toxic

and causes human deaths is released. Although the phenomenon was

initially related only to Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, other moulds

found in the environment may also theoretically be able to liberate

volatile arsenic compounds by using the same mechanism.

Several phaeoid Scopulariopsis spp. are also clinically significant.

Scopulariopsis cinerea, the anamorph of Microascus cinereus, has

been reported as the etiologic agent in a human nail infection [18],

and agent of maxillary sinusitis coexisting with Aspergillus repens

[147], suppurative cutaneous granulomata in a patient with chronic

granulomatous disease [1439], endocarditis of a presthetic valve

implanted after a staphylococcal endocarditis of a native valve

[403], and a brain abscess in a bone marrow transplant recipient

[152]. The phaeoid Scopulariopsis anamorph of M. cirrosus is an

agent of onychomhycosis [542] and of a disseminated infection in a

pediatric bone marrow transplant recipient [1253]. Scopulariopsis

trigonospora, the anamorph of Microascus trigonosporus, is an agent

of fatal pneumonia in a bone marrow transplant recipient [1555].