   #copyright

Fusarium

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Organisms

           iFusarium
   Fusarium verticillioides
   Fusarium verticillioides
   Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Fungi
   Phylum:  Ascomycota
   Class:   Sordariomycetes
   Order:   Hypocreales
   Genus:   Fusarium

   Fusarium is a large genus of filamentous fungi widely distributed in
   soil and in association with plants. Most species are harmless saprobes
   and are relatively abundant members of the soil microbial community.
   Some species produce mycotoxins in cereal crops that can affect human
   and animal health if it enters the food chain. The main toxins produced
   by these Fusarium are fumonisins and trichothecenes.

Pathogens

   The genus includes a number of economically important plant pathogenic
   species. The genome of the wheat and maize pathogen, Fusarium
   graminearum, has been sequenced. In addition, some species may cause a
   range of opportunistic infections in humans. In humans with normal
   immune systems, fusarial infections may occur in the nails (
   onychomycosis) and in the cornea ( keratomycosis or mycotic keratitis).
   In humans whose immune systems are weakened in a particular way (
   neutropenia, i.e., very low count of the white blood cell type called
   neutrophils), aggressive fusarial infections penetrating the entire
   body and bloodstream (disseminated infections) may be caused by members
   of the Fusarium solani complex, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium
   verticillioides, Fusarium proliferatum and rarely other fusarial
   species. The neutropenia in such cases is almost always the result of
   chemotherapy against certain kinds of leukemia or else heavy use of
   immunosuppressive drugs in problematic cases of major organ transplant
   surgery.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusarium"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
