Ubiquitous airborne fungus, causes serious disease in immunocompromised individuals.

What Is Aspergillus Fumigatus? Understanding the Dangerous Airborne Fungus

Aspergillus fumigatus is a common airborne fungus and this implies that its spores (also known as conidia) are always present in the atmosphere we breathe. Although the majority of the population inhales these conidia without any adverse effect, A. fumigatus is a noteworthy opportunistic pathogen, especially to people with compromised immune systems. It is the most common cause of a series of diseases referred to as aspergillosis which may vary between allergic reactions to the extremely harmful invasive infections.

Aspergillus fumigatus characteristics
The fungus is a saprophyte and has a very important role to play in the environment, as its role involves the decomposition of organic matter and recycling of carbon and nitrogen. It grows in every kind of temperature, as well cool as warm, decaying plants and itself-heating compost piles being great spawning-grounds of this fungus. A. fumigatus is also able to generate billions of spiky, small (2-3 A in diameter), blue-green conidia (easily dispersed by the wind). The small size of these tiny spores makes them pass the body defense system at the upper respiratory system and enter the deep lung tissues.

Colonies of A. fumigatus under the microscope can provide a blue-green suede-like appearance as a result of the dense conidiophore growth therein producing the conidia in its usual columnar chains formations. Fungus can also multiply fast in culture and it can survive and multiply at temperatures as high as 55 o C (resisting up to 70 o C). All these features also make this fungus successful in the human body as a pathogen.

Aspergillus fumigatus-induced Diseases-

The range of A. fumigatus diseases is mostly associated with the immunity condition of the host:

*Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA): This is an allergic reaction to the fungus-this problem occurs mostly to people with asthma or cystic fibrosis. The symptoms are contributed to shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing, and sometimes by fever. When uncontrolled, it will cause damage to the lungs.

* Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis (CPA): A chronic, slowly progressive lung infection, CPA can result in lung pathology and respiratory failure. Symptoms of CPA include loss of appetite, fatigue, cough, and shortness of breath.

* Invasive Aspergillosis (IA): This is the most acute and life-threatening form of aspergillosis. IA is seen primarily in severely immunocompromised people such as those receiving chemotherapy, individuals with malnourishment, organ transplant recipients, and patients with hematologic malignancies. In IA, the fungus invades the lung tissue and can disseminate to other organs through the bloodstream or lymphatic system (brain, heart, kidneys, skin, etc.). Symptoms are sometimes vague but commonly include fever, cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath.

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Diagnosis and Treatment-

Diagnosing aspergillosis can be quite challenging. Diagnosing aspergillosis often requires a combination of imaging (e.g., chest x-rays and CT scans) and blood tests (e.g., fungal biomarkers, such as galactomannan). Testing of tissue specimens is occasionally required.
The treatment of aspergillosis depends on the type and severity of the disease. Allergic forms are typically treated with oral corticosteroids to help reduce inflammation and corticosteroids are usually used in combination with antifungal therapy. An aspergilloma may be monitored; however, surgical resection will usually be favorably considered if the patient begins to have symptoms (e.g., bleeding). In the context of prior-mentioned IA, prompt and aggressive initiation of antifungal therapy (voriconazole or amphotericin B) is essential to prevent mortality.

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