Environmental isolation of Scedosporium species from the greater Sydney region: a link to the emergence of infections in Australia?

Abstract

Scedosporium species are emerging fungal pathogens in Australia and elsewhere. The reason for this increase in infections is unclear. Since it is assumed that the infections are caused by inhalation of fungal spores, we sampled the urban and rural environment of the greater Sydney region for the presence of the human pathogenic species. Our findings indicate that there may be species-specific associations with areas of high human activity, hinting of a possible link between the environment and the emergence of infections.