Fusarium and Neocosmospora: fungal priority pathogens in laboratory diagnosis

Area of Science:

• Mycology
• Clinical Diagnostics
• Pathogen Identification

Background:

• Fusarium and Neocosmospora are emerging fungal priority pathogens causing significant human, animal, and plant diseases.
• Clinical diagnosis faces challenges due to limitations in sample collection and traditional morphological identification methods.
• Advancements in molecular diagnostics are hindered by cost in certain regions, necessitating evaluation of available tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and compare current phenotypic and molecular diagnostic tools for Fusarium and Neocosmospora in clinical laboratories.
• To address the need for accurate species-level identification in light of taxonomic changes and antifungal resistance.
• To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each diagnostic approach for clinical laboratory settings.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on phenotypic identification techniques.
• Analysis of molecular diagnostic methods, including PCR-based and sequencing approaches.
• Comparative assessment of diagnostic accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and implementation feasibility.

Main Results:

• Phenotypic methods offer lower initial costs but can be labor-intensive and less accurate for species-level identification.
• Molecular methods provide higher accuracy and speed but are often more expensive and require specialized equipment.
• No single method is universally superior; the choice depends on laboratory resources and diagnostic needs.

Conclusions:

• Accurate species-level identification of Fusarium and Neocosmospora is essential for effective patient management and disease control.
• A combination of phenotypic and molecular approaches may be optimal in resource-limited settings.
• Continued development of cost-effective and accessible diagnostic tools is critical for global public health.