Purpureocillium lilacinum an emergent pathogen: antifungal susceptibility of environmental and clinical strains

Abstract

Purpureocillium lilacinum is a filamentous and hyaline fungus cosmopolitan, saprophytic, largely used in the biological control of plant-parasitic nematodes and insects, also considered an emerging and opportunistic human pathogen. The standard treatment for hyalohyphomycosis caused by P. lilacinum is not yet defined, since this fungus is resistant to different antifungals, in vitro and in vivo. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare in vitro antifungal activity against environmental and clinical P. lilacinum isolates and our results demonstrated that these isolates can be resistant to newer generation triazoles, such as voriconazole, and to caspofungin, a drug of the echinocandin class. In summary, we highlight the importance of knowing the different susceptibility profiles of P. lilacinum isolates, and besides that, the emergence of uncommon human and animal opportunistic fungi, such P. lilacinum, especially during COVID-19, highlight the need for antifungal susceptibility testing of isolates since empirical therapy with different treatment schedules failed in great number of patients.