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Abstract(s)
[PT] Aspergillus fumigatus é um agente etiológico fúngico disperso mundialmente por variados nichos
ecológicos e o fungo patogénico que mais promove doenças respiratórias em aves e pessoas
imunocomprometidas. A exposição a conídios deste fungo pode causar aspergilose invasiva, a doença
mais frequente em variadas espécies ornitológicas, com elevada mortalidade e morbidade. Além disso,
esta doença é um dos fatores que mais contribui para significativas perdas económicas na indústria
avícola, bem como perdas de biodiversidade, em espécies selvagens. Neste contexto, Aspergillus
fumigatus, que pertence ao complexo Fumigati, desenvolve-se facilmente no trato respiratório de aves
e humanos, no solo, nas camas e ninhos das aves. Tem uma fácil aerolização e contamina os alimentos
nos ambientes avícolas e produz uma micotoxina, gliotoxina, que invade o trato respiratório e é
considerada como fator de virulência. A identificação exacta dos isolados fúngicos provenientes de aves
é muito importante, para percepção da sua epidemiologia em aves, para pesquisa de espécies crípticas
de Aspergillus fumigatus, que podem desencadear as mesmas patologias mas apresentar diferentes
resultados às mesmas terapêuticas antifúngicas. A análise molecular efectuada neste estudo permitiu
atingir estes objectivos. Como tal, 108 isolados provenientes de diversificadas aves foram analisados
por ferramentas moleculares para determinar a presença de espécies crípticas de Aspergillus fumigatus
e observar os seus diferentes perfis de susceptibilidade antifúngica ao itraconazol. Não foram detectadas
espécies crípticas, mas foi possível corrigir duas identificações morfológicas erradas ao nível do
complexo.
Apesar da emergência da resistência adquirida por Aspergillus fumigatus ao itraconazol, estar a emergir,
não foram detectadas estirpes resistentes neste estudo. O conhecimento molecular deste agente
etiológico responsável pela aspergilose invasiva em aves é importante para auxiliar a escolha de uma
melhor terapêutica e futuros tratamentos para infeções oportunistas fúngicas, contribuindo assim para
menos perdas na produção avícola e para uma melhoria da Saúde Pública.
[ENG] Aspergillus fumigatus is an etiologic fungal agent worldwide widespread in different ecologic niches. It is a pathogenic fungus that causes respiratory diseases in birds and immunocompromised hosts. Exposition to its conidia can cause invasive aspergillosis, the most frequent disease in several avian species, causing high morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, this disease is one of the factors that most contributes for significant economic losses in poultry industries and also to biodiversity losses in wild species. Aspergillus fumigatus, which belongs to the complex Fumigati, grows easily in the avian and human respiratory tract, but also in soil, avian litters and nests. Due to its easy aerolization, it contaminates feedstuffs in poultry farms. It also produces a mycotoxin, gliotoxin, which helps in respiratory tract invasion and is considered as a virulence factor. Exact identification of the fungal isolates collected from birds is very important for understanding its epidemiology in birds, also researching Aspergillus fumigatus cryptic species. These might trigger the same pathologies, but exhibit different behaviours under the same antifungal therapeutics. The molecular analysis performed in this study allowed us to achieve these objectives. As such, 108 different avian isolates were analyzed by molecular tools in order to determine the presence of Aspergillus fumigatus cryptic species and to observe their antifungal susceptibility profiles to itraconazol. No cryptic species were found, but it was possible to identify two misidentifications at species complex level. Despite the emergence of Aspergillus fumigatus strains showing acquired resistance to itraconazole, no resistant strains to this antifungal were detected in this study. Molecular knowledge of this etiologic agent is important to choose therapeutic approaches and to implement protective or corrective measures, thus contributing to lower losses in poultry production and consequently, to improvements in Public Health.
[ENG] Aspergillus fumigatus is an etiologic fungal agent worldwide widespread in different ecologic niches. It is a pathogenic fungus that causes respiratory diseases in birds and immunocompromised hosts. Exposition to its conidia can cause invasive aspergillosis, the most frequent disease in several avian species, causing high morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, this disease is one of the factors that most contributes for significant economic losses in poultry industries and also to biodiversity losses in wild species. Aspergillus fumigatus, which belongs to the complex Fumigati, grows easily in the avian and human respiratory tract, but also in soil, avian litters and nests. Due to its easy aerolization, it contaminates feedstuffs in poultry farms. It also produces a mycotoxin, gliotoxin, which helps in respiratory tract invasion and is considered as a virulence factor. Exact identification of the fungal isolates collected from birds is very important for understanding its epidemiology in birds, also researching Aspergillus fumigatus cryptic species. These might trigger the same pathologies, but exhibit different behaviours under the same antifungal therapeutics. The molecular analysis performed in this study allowed us to achieve these objectives. As such, 108 different avian isolates were analyzed by molecular tools in order to determine the presence of Aspergillus fumigatus cryptic species and to observe their antifungal susceptibility profiles to itraconazol. No cryptic species were found, but it was possible to identify two misidentifications at species complex level. Despite the emergence of Aspergillus fumigatus strains showing acquired resistance to itraconazole, no resistant strains to this antifungal were detected in this study. Molecular knowledge of this etiologic agent is important to choose therapeutic approaches and to implement protective or corrective measures, thus contributing to lower losses in poultry production and consequently, to improvements in Public Health.
Description
Dissertações de Mestrado em Tecnologia
e Segurança Alimentar, apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2014
Raquel Sabino, Investigadora do Departamento de Doenças Infeciosas do INSA
Raquel Sabino, Investigadora do Departamento de Doenças Infeciosas do INSA
Keywords
Aspergillus fumigatus Aspergilose Invasiva Aves Espécies Crípticas Estudos Moleculares Terapias Antifúngicas Invasive Aspergilosis Birds Crytic Species Molecular Studies Antifungal Drugs Therapies Saúde Pública Infecções Sistémicas e Zoonoses
