DESCRIPTIONS OF MEDICAL FUNGI

Descriptions of Medical Fungi 75
The genus Curvularia contains about 80 species, which are mostly soil or plant
pathogens. Recent studies have shown that morphological identification does not
correlate with molecular identification (Manamgoda et al. 2012; Yanagihara et al. 2010,
da Cunha et al. 2013). A phylogenetic analysis of the genera Bipolaris and Curvularia
has resulted in a re-alignment of several species. In particular, clinical isolates previously
identified as Bipolaris species, notably B. australiensis, B. hawaiiensis and B. spicifera
have now been transferred to Curvularia (Manamgoda et al. 2012).
Previously Curvularia lunata was the most frequently reported clinical species, however
other species, such as C. americana, C. brachyspora, C. chlamydospora, C. clavata,
C. hominis, C. inaequalis, C. muehlenbeckiae, C. pallescens, C. pseudolunata, C.
senegalensis and C. verruculosa have now also been reported from clinical cases
(Revankar and Sutton, 2010, da Cunha et al. 2013, Madrid et al. 2014).
RG-1 organisms.
Curvularia Boedijn
Morphological Description: Colonies are fast growing, suede-like to downy, brown to
blackish brown with a black reverse. Conidiophores erect, straight to flexuous, septate,
often geniculate (producing conidia in sympodial succession) sometimes nodulose.
Conidia are ellipsoidal, often curved or lunate, rounded at the ends or sometimes
tapering slightly towards the base, pale brown, medium reddish brown to dark brown,
3–10 (usually 3–5) septa, conidial wall smooth to verrucose. Hilum protuberant in some
species.
Key Features: Dematiaceous hyphomycete producing sympodial, pale brown,
cylindrical or slightly curved phragmoconidia.
Comment: There is no clear morphological boundary between the genera Bipolaris
and Curvularia and some species show intermediate morphology (Manamgoda et al.
2012). ITS and GPDH gene analysis is recommended for definitive identification of
species (Manamgoda et al. 2012).
Molecular Identification: GPDH (Manamgoda et al. 2012) and/or ITS (da Cunha et
al. 2013, Irinyi et al. 2015).
References: Ellis (1971), McGinnis (1980), Rippon (1988), de Hoog et al. (2000, 2015),
Revankar and Sutton (2010), Yanagihara et al. (2010), Manamgoda et al. (2012); da
Cunha et al. (2013), Madrid et al. (2014).
Antifungal Susceptibility: Curvularia australiensis (da Cunha et al. 2012a and
Australian National data); MIC µg/mL.
No 16
AmB 13 1 1 6 3 2
VORI 13 1 2 6 3 1
POSA 11 1 2 6 2
ITRA 13 1 3 2 6 1