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Identification and Characterization of Fusarium proliferatum, a New Species of Fungi that Cause Fungal Keratitis

Shengtao Sun1,2, Qixue Lui2, Lei Han2

  • 1The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou City, China.

Scientific Reports
|March 22, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Fusarium proliferatum causes fungal keratitis, often linked to plant injuries. Natamycin and voriconazole show promise for treating infections caused by this emerging pathogen.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Mycology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Fusarium proliferatum is a known plant pathogen, but its role in human fungal keratitis is under-investigated.
  • Fungal keratitis is a serious eye infection that can lead to vision loss.

Observation:

  • 17.7% of Fusarium isolates were identified as F. proliferatum using morphological features and EF-1α DNA sequencing.
  • F. proliferatum isolates exhibited in vitro resistance to amphotericin B, fluconazole, ketoconazole, and itaconazole.
  • Patients with F. proliferatum keratitis were often older adults (51-60 years) and infection was commonly associated with plant-related eye injuries.

Findings:

  • F. proliferatum demonstrated in vitro sensitivity to natamycin and voriconazole.
  • Treatment with a combination of 0.5% natamycin and 0.5% voriconazole achieved a higher cure rate (59.1%) compared to amphotericin B and ketoconazole (45.2%) in F. proliferatum keratitis patients.

Implications:

  • F. proliferatum is identified as a significant emerging cause of fungal keratitis.
  • Combination therapy with natamycin and voriconazole offers improved therapeutic efficacy for F. proliferatum-induced fungal keratitis.

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