Taxonomy and Clinical Spectra of Fusarium Species: Where Do We Stand in 2014?

Abstract

With the recent change of the botanical code for the names of algae, fungi, and plants, fungi are no longer allowed to have multiple names for their different reproductive stages. Here we discuss that under the new nomenclatural rules and for taxonomic stability, Fusarium is to be preferred above names for some of its known sexual stages like Haemonectria and Gibberella. The genus Fusarium contains emerging etiological agents of disease ranging from onychomycoses, skin and eye-infections, to deep localized and disseminated infections. Deep infections occur nearly exclusively in immunocompromised patients, while remaining infections primarily affect healthy individuals. Within the large genus, at least seven species complexes comprising multiple species have been implicated in human and animal infections. In this review we give an overview of currently known opportunistic Fusarium species and the infections they cause.