Experimental pathogenicity of four opportunist Fusarium species in a murine model

A murine model with immunocompetent animals was used in a comparative study of experimental pathogenicity of 13 isolates belonging to the four most fr equent pathogenic species of Fusarium in man (F. solani, F. oxysporum, F. v erticillioides and F. proliferatum). Inocula of 5 x 10(6) conidia/mouse of each isolate of Fusarium were injected into a lateral vein of the tail of t he mice to produce a systemic infection, K solani was the most virulent spe cies; the five strains of this species assayed caused the death of all the animals tested in <19 days, The other species of Fusarium were not virulent in this model. The organs mainly affected by K solani were the kidneys and the heart. These findings correlate with the clinical evidence and demonst rate that there is a high risk associated with infection by F. solani, espe cially for immunocompromised patients.