Allergic fungal airways disease (AFAD): an under-recognised asthma endotype

The term allergic fungal airways disease has a liberal definition based on IgE sensitisation to thermotolerant fungi and evidence of fungal-related lung damage. It arose from a body of work looking into the role of fungi in asthma. Historically fungi were considered a rare complication of asthma, exemplified by allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis; however, there is a significant proportion of individuals with Aspergillus fumigatus sensitisation who do not meet these criteria, who are at high risk for the development of lung damage. The fungi that play a role in asthma can be divided into two groups; those that can grow at body temperature referred to as thermotolerant, which are capable of both infection and allergy, and those that cannot but can still act as allergens in IgE sensitised individuals. Sensitisation to thermotolerant filamentous fungi (Aspergillus and Penicillium), and not non-thermotolerant fungi (Alternaria and Cladosporium) is associated with lower lung function and radiological abnormalities (bronchiectasis, tree-in-bud, fleeting shadows, collapse/consolidation and fibrosis). For antifungals to play a role in treatment, the focus should be on fungi capable of growing in the airways thereby causing a persistent chronic allergenic stimulus and releasing tissue damaging proteases and other enzymes which may disrupt the airway epithelial barrier and cause mucosal damage and airway remodelling. All patients with IgE sensitisation to thermotolerant fungi in the context of asthma and other airway disease are at risk of progressive lung damage, and as such should be monitored closely.

Fungal Frequency and Diversity in the Nests of Wetland Birds from Poland: Relationships between Birds, Nest Properties and Inhabiting Fungi

Avian nests are a unique and sometimes extreme environment in which fungi occur. In this study, a correlation was recorded between the breeding biology and ecology of wetland birds and the biology and ecology of fungi in nests of wetland birds. The abundance of ecophysiologically diversified fungi, i.e. saprotrophs, cellulolytic fungi, and potentially zoo- and phytopathogenic fungi, was shown to be significantly higher in large nests, while species diversity (Shannon index) of fungi in nests with similar properties was not significant. The taxonomic structure (genus and species composition) and the spatial structure (frequency) of the nest mycobiota are mainly affected by nests’ specific physical and chemical properties which depend on the breeding and feeding preferences of the birds. In dry, highly sun-exposed nests of the Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), a species that establishes breeding colonies high in the trees, mainly feeds on fish and has young who defecate into the nest, populations of xerophilic, alkali- and thermotolerant fungi, including keratinolytic fungi (Chrysosporium tropicum), developed. In the nests of the Mute Swan (Cygnus olor), a precocial species which constructs very large, relatively low-hygiene nests at the water's edge and which feeds on plant food, populations of hydrophilic and thermotolerant fungi, including highly cellulolytic fungi such as Chaetomium globosum, were detected. Nests of other small species of wetland birds, whose nests are also located on water but contain smaller amounts of animal-derived material, did not differ significantly mycologically and were colonised mainly by species such as Trichoderma viride and Penicillium purpurogenum, ubiquitous fungi with very high water and thermotolerant requirements.

A Study on Soil Thermophilic and Thermotolerant Fungi in Thamar-Yemen

Thirty-eight soil samples were collected from different sites in Thamar province during the period from 4/2012 to 2/2013.The direct plate, and dilution plates methods were followed to isolation of counting colony forming units, the potato carrot agar (PCA) and Emerson's media were used A total of 23 fungi belong to (14) genera were isolated, they include (11) Hyphomycetes, (10) Ascomycetes, and (2) Zygomycetes besides black and white sterile mycelium. A fourteen isolates were regarded asnewly record for Yemeni mycobiota,they include Acremonium murorum, Acrophialophorafusispora, Chaetomiumatrobrunneum, C.gracile,C.strumarium, C.therophilevar.coprophpile, Corynascussepedonium ,Emericellarugulosa, Melanocarpusalbomyces, paecelomycesinflatus Papulosporathermophila, Rhizomucormiehi, Scytalidiumthermophilum, and Talromycesthermophilus Soil dilution method showed that the colony forming units (CFUs)in soil had seasonal fluctuation , they were significantly higher (36667) during moderate/humid month than cold/dry months (20400) (p<0.05), while the total similarity% is high between fungal genera which were isolated during the two periods (78.57%) .A test of 15 isolates to produce cellulase, amylase, lipase, protease, xylanase and phenoloxidase showed a different activities in number of enzymes and levels of production. Corynascussepedonium, Eemericellanedulans and Malbrancheacinnamomea gave a positive result for all enzymes

Microbiological characteristics of bioaerosol at the composting plant

The diversion of biodegradable waste from landfill is of key importance in developing a sustainable waste strategy for the next decade and beyond. The proliferation of waste treatment technologies such as mechanical biological treatment, anaerobic digestion and composting will be paramount in achieving this strategic goal. Composting plant is one of the end technology, which is widely used in waste processing of the biodegradable waste. These wastes originate from the maintenance of green areas in the cities and the municipalities and from the separatelly collected biodegradable waste from the citizens. There is also possible to process other biodegradable materials whose origin may be in other technologies of waste management at the composting plant. The most commonly used technology of composting is windrow system. Technological operations, which are necessary for the proper conduct of the composting process, may have negative influence on the environment in the immediate vicinity of composting plant. As pollutants we can mark particular odor and microorganisms. The largest group of microorganisms in the monitored air were psychrophilic and mesophilic bacteria and microscopic thermotolerant fungi. The amount of thermophillic actinomycetes ranged from 10 to 84.000 CFU∙m−3(colony forming units per m3). Furthermore, it was confirmed that the maximum air contamination has been found during aeration of windrow by compost turner and during the sieving of the mature compost. For each indicator, the increase in concentrations due to the turning of compost windrow as compared to the background concentration obtained in natural environments and upwind of composting plants was determined. At a distance of 150 m from the composting plant, only low numbers of indicator organisms at a regular occurrence in the air has been found.