Paracoccidioides lutzii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Ascomycota
Class:	Eurotiomycetes
Order:	Onygenales
Family:	Ajellomycetaceae
Genus:	Paracoccidioides
Species:	P. lutzii

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]

History

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]

Ecology

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]

Epidemiology

Lesions of paracoccidioidomycosis on a Brazilian child

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]

References