Phaeohyphomycosis is a diverse group of fungal infections, caused by dematiaceous fungi whose morphologic characteristics in tissue include hyphae, yeast-like cells, or a combination of these. : 324  It can be associated an array of melanistic filamentous fungi including Alternaria species, Exophiala jeanselmei, and Rhinocladiella mackenziei.The term “phaeohyphomycosis” was introduced to determine infections caused by dematiaceous (pigmented) filamentous fungi which contain melanin in their cell walls. Phaeohyphomycosis is an uncommon infection, but the number of cases reported has been increasing in recent years. Fungal melanin is thought to be a virulence factor. The outcome of antifungal treatment is poor, and mortality is almost 80%. Phaeohyphomycosis has been attributed to more than 100 species and 60 genera of fungi over the past several decades. The pathogens are considered opportunistic. Almost all cases of widely disseminated infection have occurred in immunosuppressed people. Clinical signs of phaeohyphomycosis
Wildlife
Phaeohyphomycosis is found throughout the animal kingdom. From molluscs to humans, different strains of this fungus affect animals differently, based on how severely the fungus has infected the animal. The clinical signs depend on the species of animal that is infected as well as the strain of fungus it is infected with. This disease is usually found more often in stressed animals after removal from their habitat. Invertebrates
Invertebrates, such as crabs and mollusks, show a variety of clinical signs. Crabs had increasingly weak motor control, especially in legs and claws, and were lethargic. They had poor balance and tetany, or muscle spasms, in the claws.
Because of this finding, more researchers are aware of this disease and the fact that it does not just infect the brain, as previously thought, but also other organs and other parts of the nervous system. A Purdue University study in 2011 showed a Huacaya alpaca (Vicugna pacos) with the same fungus affected by cerebral phaeohyphomycosis. The eight-year-old animal was the first report of this disease in a camelid ruminant.Conclusively, phaeohyphomycosis is a highly prolific disease that is caused by multiple genera of fungi. The disease is transmissible through several mediums, including air, wind, and water. Both individual animals and whole populations can be affected by it. Although it does not seem to be an epidemic, it is nonetheless an area of concern and requires much more active research rather than simply reports of terminal or already-dead animals. See also
Skin lesion


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