Imperial College London
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Professor Matthew Fisher

Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health

Professor of Fungal Disease Epidemiology
 
 
 
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Contact

 

matthew.fisher Website

 
 
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Location

 

1113Sir Michael Uren HubWhite City Campus

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Summary

 

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Edwards:2021:femsec/fiab093,
author = {Edwards, HM and Cogliati, M and Kwenda, G and Fisher, MC},
doi = {femsec/fiab093},
journal = {FEMS Microbiology Ecology},
title = {The need for environmental surveillance to understand the ecology, epidemiology and impact of <i>Cryptococcus</i> infection in Africa},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiab093},
volume = {97},
year = {2021}
}
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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - <jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title>               <jats:p>Our understanding of the pathogenic yeasts Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii has been greatly enhanced by use of genome sequencing technologies. Found ubiquitously as saprotrophs in the environment, inhalation of infectious spores from these pathogens can lead to the disease cryptococcosis. Individuals with compromised immune systems are at particular risk, most notably those living with HIV/AIDS. Genome sequencing in combination with laboratory and clinical studies has revealed diverse lineages with important differences in their observed frequency, virulence and clinical outcomes. However, to date, genomic analyses have focused primarily on clinical isolates that represent only a subset of the diversity in the environment. Enhanced genomic surveillance of these yeasts in their native environments is needed in order to understand their ecology, biology and evolution and how these influence the epidemiology and pathophysiology of clinical disease. This is particularly relevant on the African continent from where global cryptococcal diversity may have originated, yet where environmental sampling and sequencing has been sparse despite harbouring the largest population at risk from cryptococcosis. Here, we review what scientifically and clinically relevant insights have been provided by analysis of environmental Cryptococcus isolates to date and argue that with further sampling, particularly in Africa, many more important discoveries await.</jats:p>
AU  - Edwards,HM
AU  - Cogliati,M
AU  - Kwenda,G
AU  - Fisher,MC
DO  - femsec/fiab093
PY  - 2021///
TI  - The need for environmental surveillance to understand the ecology, epidemiology and impact of <i>Cryptococcus</i> infection in Africa
T2  - FEMS Microbiology Ecology
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiab093
VL  - 97
ER  -
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