DESCRIPTIONS OF MEDICAL FUNGI

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Descriptions of Medical Fungi
Aspergillus fumigatus complex
Aspergillus section Fumigati includes species characterised by uniseriate aspergilla
with columnar conidial heads in shades of blue-green and flask-shaped vesicles
(Raper and Fennell, 1965). Teleomorphic species belonging to the “Aspergillus fischeri
series” of the A. fumigatus group (Raper and Fennell, 1965) were placed in the genus
Neosartorya (family Trichocomaceae) by Malloch and Cain (1972). Section Fumigati
includes more than 23 Neosartorya species and 10 anamorphic species (Samson et
al. 2007).
Although A. fumigatus is recognised as the major human pathogen within the complex,
recent phylogenetic studies have demonstrated that some human and animal
infections may be caused by A. lentulus, A. fumigatiaffinis, A. fumisynnematus, A. felis,
Neosartorya fischeri, N. pseudofischeri, N. udagawae, N. hiratsukae and N. spinosa
(Coriglione et al. 1990; Summerbell et al. 1992; Padhye et al. 1994a; Lonial et al. 1997;
Jarv et al. 2004; Balajee et al. 2005, 2006; Barrs et al. 2013).
Aspergillus felis Barrs, van Doorn, Varga & Samson
Aspergillus felis has been reported as a causative agent of invasive aspergillosis and
rhinosinusitis in humans, dogs and cats. Disease in all host species is often refractory
to aggressive antifungal therapeutic regimens.
RG-1 organism.
Morphological Description: Colonies of A. felis are suede-like to floccose, white with
interspersed grey green patches of conidia (conidiation is slow to poor). Conidial heads
of A. felis are short, columnar and uniseriate. Conidiophore stipes are smooth-walled
and vesicles are usually subglobose in shape. Conidia globose (2-3 µm in diameter),
smooth to finely roughened.
Molecular Identification: A. felis can be distinguished from other members of the
section Fumigati by sequence analysis of β-tubulin, calmodulin and actin genes (Barrs
et al. 2013). ITS sequencing is not recommended.
Comment: A. felis is phenotypically similar to Aspergillus viridinutans, but differs by
its ability to grow at 45°C. This species is phylogenetically related to Neosartorya
aureola and N. udagawae and differs to N. aureola in having a heterothallic mode of
reproduction.
Antifungal Susceptibility: A. felis (Barrs et al. 2013); MIC µg/mL.
No 16
AmB 13 1 11 1
VORI 13 1 3 1 5 3
POSA 13 4 3 2 1 2 1
ITRA 13 1 2 2 4 1 3