Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

AN OVERVIEW OF FUSARIOSIS AND DIAGNOSIS PROBLEMS

Marwan Y. Al-Maqtoofi and Alaa A. Al-Rifaie

Abstract

The invasive infections due to Fusarium species infections is called fusariosis. The fungal genus Fusarium, has emerged as a serious life-threatening disease with high rates of mortality and morbidity in immuno compromised patients. Specific and sensitive diagnostic tests for this infectious fungal pathogen are currently lacking, and early detection of Fusarium infections is vital for the prompt and appropriate management of disease. Very little is known about the interaction of emerging human pathogenic fungi such as Fusarium and the immune system. Arguably, one of the main reasons for this lack of knowledge is the insufficiency of techniques that allow accurate detection of the fungus in vivo and for tracking the fungus in epidemiological and immune cell interaction studies. For this reason, this review highlights the main methods used for Fusarium diagnosis.