Guest contribution: Article series on the subject of state-of-the-art mycology in dermatology, 9th article by Prof Hans-Jürgen Tietz, Director of the Institute of Fungal Diseases in Berlin, Germany Recently, a patient said goodbye to me with the words: “If we are not successful with the culture, then I want the genetic test. My health insurance […]
Aspergillus spp. are ubiquitous moulds which are found in the soil, compost, or on humid walls. They form single-celled spores that spread through the air and of which every person inhales hundreds every day. Their concentration is especially increased in the summer. In people with an intact immune system, inhalation of the spores has usually
Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease which is caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii and primarily affects cats. Nonetheless, other mammals, including humans, can be an intermediary host and become infected with this pathogen. The detection of Toxoplasma infections in humans is of great significance in pre-natal diagnostics since primary infections of the mother may lead
Still today, it seems to be a taboo to speak about sexually transmitted infections, short STI. However, sweeping the topic under the rug is not an option. According to the WHO, there are over a million new cases of STI in the world ̶ every day. STI pathogens include bacteria, viruses, parasites, or fungi, which
Along with the happiness about the pregnancy arises the worry about the unborn’s health. Some pathogens are of particular concern to the expectant mother. They may be transmitted from the mother to the fetus during pregnancy or birth or shortly after birth and can cause aborts, malformations or postnatal infections of the child. They include
