How do I know if I have Coccidioides immitis?

Conventional laboratory identification methods used to identify Coccidioides immitis include culture on fungal media, growth rate, colony morphology, microscopic morphology, animal inoculation, and biochemical tests. Identification begins with culture of the clinical specimen on fungal media.

Does Coccidioides immitis produce arthroconidia?

Coccidioides immitis/posadsii presents in mycelial form with branching hyphae and arthroconidia when cultured in the laboratory. On histopathology, the presence of endospore-containing spherules is considered diagnostic of coccidioidomycosis.

What is the unique feature of a coccidioidomycosis infection?

Coccidioidomycosis is a pulmonary or hematogenously spread disseminated disease caused by the fungi Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii; it usually occurs as an acute benign asymptomatic or self-limited respiratory infection. The organism occasionally disseminates to cause focal lesions in other tissues.

What disease is caused by Coccidioides immitis?

Valley fever, also called coccidioidomycosis, is an infection caused by the fungus Coccidioides. The fungus is known to live in the soil in the southwestern United States and parts of Mexico and Central and South America.

Is Coccidioides immitis a mold or yeast?

Coccidioides immitis is a diphasic and pleomorphic mold/fungus with a (saprobic) growth phase in nature or in usual laboratory culture that differs morphologically from the (parasitic) growth phase usually seen in the tissues of an infected host (Fig.

How is coccidioidomycosis diagnosed?

How Coccidioidomycosis Is Diagnosed

1. Sputum samples, produced by coughing or obtained by bronchoscopy, to look for the fungus in a lab culture.
2. Chest X-ray and/or CT scan (to look for pneumonia)
3. Biopsy of the affected site, typically the lung, to look for the fungus in the infected tissue.

What is the life cycle of Coccidioides immitis?

Life cycle of Coccidioides. The parasitic life cycle is initiated when arthroconidia enlarge and transform into immature spherules, either in vivo or under specific in vitro conditions. From 24 to 72 hours, spherules undergo free nuclear division and begin developing endospores.

How do you prevent Coccidioides immitis?

Can Valley fever be prevented?

1. Avoid areas where you will be exposed to dirt or dust, if possible.
2. Close your windows and stay inside during dust storms.
3. Avoid activities like gardening, digging, or other yard work that can expose you to fungal spores.
4. Use air filters indoors.

Is Coccidioides immitis a parasite?

Coccidioides immitis is a human respiratory pathogen characterized by a parasitic cycle that is unique among fungi that cause systemic mycoses.

Is Coccidioides immitis a yeast?

Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii are two highly pathogenic dimorphic fungal species that are endemic in the arid areas of the new world, including the region from west Texas to southern and central California in the USA that cause coccidioidomycosis (also known as Valley Fever).

How can you tell if you have Coccidioides immitis?

Even a chest X-ray or CT scan cannot reliably distinguish it from other lung diseases, including lung cancer. Blood or urine tests are administered, which aim to discover Coccidioides antigens. However, because the Coccidioides creates a mass that can mimic a lung tumor, the correct diagnosis may require a tissue sample ( biopsy ).

Where does Coccidioides immitis live in the United States?

Coccidioides immitis is a pathogenic fungus that resides in the soil in certain parts of the southwestern United States, northern Mexico, and a few other areas in the Western Hemisphere.

Which is worse arthroconidia or Coccidioides?

Coccidioides cause disease in immunocompetent or immunocompromised individuals, with disease severity typically being worse in immunodeficient patients. 88 Initial host responses to arthroconidia include influxes of both macrophages and neutrophils.

How long is the incubation period for Coccidioides immitis?

These fungi are usually found 10 to 30 cm beneath the surface. C. immitis can cause a disease called coccidioidomycosis ( valley fever ). Its incubation period varies from 7 to 21 days.