| Paracoccidioides lutzii | |
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| Species: | P. lutzii
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Paracoccidioides lutzii is a dimorphic fungus that is one of the causal agents of paracoccidioidomycosis, together with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis.[1] Unlike P. brasiliensis, which is found throughout Central and South America, P. lutzii is found only in Brazil and Ecuador.[2] It is less virulent than P. brasiliensis.[3]
Paracoccidioides species were discovered by Adolfo Lutz in 1908 in Brazil.[4] P. lutzii was formerly classified "PB-01 like", and proposed as a new species in 2014,[5] being discovered in the Central-West region of Brazil.[6] The infection it causes is considered to be a neglected endemic mycosis, a type of neglected tropical disease.[7]
P. lutzii occurs in nature as a filamentous structure. It forms conidia as part of its life cycle, which cause infection when inhaled into the respiratory tract of humans.[8]
Little is known about the epidemiology of the new species, as most previous epidemiological reports have focused on P. brasiliensis.[9] Infection with the Paracoccidioides species, known as paracoccidioidomycosis, may be asymptomatic and subclinical, or may form into either acute/subacute (juvenile) or chronic (adult) forms of the disease.[8] P. lutzii has less adhesion to lung cells than P. brasilensis, potentially explaining its decreased virulence.[3]
It is predominantly distributed in the Central west and Amazon regions of Brazil and Ecuador.[8]
Social and environmental changes, including increased agriculturalization, deforestation in Brazil, expansion of settlements and coffee agriculture could explain the increased incidence of Paracoccidioidies, especially in the Rondônia state of Brazil.[8]