ALLERGEN - ASPERGILLUS FUMIGATUS

Overview

Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) is a saprotroph and opportunistic filamentous fungus widely distributed in the environment. A. fumigatus is a spore-forming, thermotolerant fungus that reproduces asexually through spores in the form of conidia. It is a cosmopolitan pathogen distributed all over the five continents (Europe, Asia, America, Africa and Australia). Inhalation is the main route of exposure to Aspergillus spores. A. fumigatus is the causal agent of allergic and infectious diseases affecting dozens of millions of people globally. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is the most severe Aspergillus-related allergic disease, affecting 1-2.5% of asthmatic patients and up to 10% of cystic fibrosis patients during their lifetime. Other significant allergic Aspergillus-related diseases are allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) and severe asthma with fungal sensitization (SAFS).