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Review
. 2019 Dec 20;6(1):4.
doi: 10.3390/jof6010004.

Biotic Environments Supporting the Persistence of Clinically Relevant Mucormycetes

Malcolm D Richardson  1   2 , Riina Rautemaa-Richardson  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

Biotic Environments Supporting the Persistence of Clinically Relevant Mucormycetes

Malcolm D Richardson et al. J Fungi (Basel). .

Abstract

Clinically relevant members of the Mucorales group can grow and are found in diverse ecological spaces such as soil, dust, water, decomposing vegetation, on and in food, and in hospital environments but are poorly represented in mycobiome studies of outdoor and indoor air. Occasionally, Mucorales are found in water-damaged buildings. This mini review examines a number of specialised biotic environments, including those revealed by natural disasters and theatres of war, that support the growth and persistence of these fungi. However, we are no further forward in understanding exposure pathways or the chronicity of exposure that results in the spectrum of clinical presentations of mucormycosis.

Keywords: Mucorales; ecological niches; mucormycosis; spore dispersal.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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