Int. J. Morphol., 23(3):209-210, 2005.

Brief Comunication

Occurrence of Paecilomyces spp. in Containers of Anatomic Pieces

Presencia de Paecilomyces spp. en Contenedores de Piezas Anatómicas

^*Plínio P. Gomes Junior; ^**Marleyne Afonso Accioly Lins Amorim; ^** Filipe Purcell de Araújo; ^***Norma Suely Sobral da Silveira & ^****Adelmar Afonso de Amorim Júnior

^* Biólogo da Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco UFRPE, Recife, Brasil.
^** Departamento de Anatomia e Fisiologia Animal (DMFA), Área de Anatomia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco UFRPE, Recife, Brasil.
^*** Departamento de Biologia da Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco UFRPE, Área de Microbiologia, Recife, Brasil.
^**** Centro de Ciências Biológicas da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Departamento de Anatomia, UFPE, Recife, Brasil.

Dirección para correspondencia

SUMMARY: Species of hyphomicete genus Paecilomyces spp. inhabitants of a wide variety of enviromental niches, causing economic damage and mycosis in animals and humans. Since 2000, was perceived the occurrence of Paecilomyces spp. in containers of anatomic pieces in the hall of anatomy from the Pernambuco Federal Rural University, Brazil. Its is injuring anatomic pieces and putting in risk the health the people which work in the place. Studies have been done to solve this problem.

KEY WORDS: Anatomy; Paecilomyces spp; Containers pieces.

RESUMEN: Especies de Hyphomicete genus Paecilomyces habitantes de una gran variedad de nichos medioambientales, son causantes de daño económico y micosis en animales y humanos. Desde el año 2000, percibimos la aparición de Paecilomyces spp. en contenedores de piezas anatómicas en el pabellón de Anatomía de la Universidade Federal Rural de Pernmbuco, Brasil.Las piezas anatómicas estaban dañándose y poniendo en riesgo la salud de las personas que trabajaban en el lugar. Se han hecho estudios para resolver este problema.

PALABRAS CLAVE: Anatomía; Paecilomyces spp.; Contenedores de piezas anatómicas.

Species of the hyphomicete genus Paecilomyces are common inhabitants of a wide variety of environmental niches such as in soil and decaying organic material (Samson, 1974 and Samson et al., 1995). Some are occasionally found as agents of human and animal disease, particularly Paecilomyces lilacinus (Thom, 1932) Samson and P. variotti Bain. (Castro et al., 1990).

The systemic mycoses as well as other mycoses have in common an inanimate reservoir. Like other saprophytic fungi, the Paecilomyces spp. may be found in clinical materials without having etiologic significance (Jang et al., 1971).

The genus Paecilomyces was described by Bainier, in 1907 as one only species P. variotti (Brown & Smith, 1957). Although P. variotti are often considered as saprophytic fungi, may cause pathogenies named paecilomycosis. Many cases have already been described causing endocarditis (Silver et al., 1971), endocarditis by cardiac surgery infection (Jang et al., and Uys et al., 1963), systemic micosis in dogs (Jang et al.), cerebrospinal fluid shunt in a paient with cancer (Fagerburg et al., 1981), patient whose was lung transplant sumitted (Lee et al., 2002), infection of the paranasal sinuses of a child eight years old (Nayak et al., 2000), progressive cutaneous hyalohyphomycosis in a patient submitted for chemotherapy (Safdar, 2002), besides cases prosthetics introductions and imunossupression as pneumonia, peritonitis, fungemia, sinusits, endophthalmitis, cutaneos infection, and others described by search of Kantarcioglu et al. (2003), besides be used as a mycoinsecticide (Cantone & Vandenberg, 1999).

In the world wide, many species of Paecilomyces, has been related occurring in a wide variety of substrates. Its main economic importance is due causing damage to many kinds of organic materials (Brown & Smith), being the Paecilomyces variotti species, specially as a contaminant of foods and raw materials (Wheeler & Hocking, 1988), fruits in markets (Brown & Smith; Williamson, 1923), destain in wood of paper factoring (Brown & Smith; Rennerfelt 1937), cotton wire (Brown & Smith), spots in jute (Brown & Smith; Macmillan & Basu, 1947 and Basu, 1948a,b), leather boots army storage (Brown & Smith; Sopp, 1912) and bronzed spots in parchment (Brown & Smith), besides be found colonising media with arsenic contents (Thom & Raper, 1932).

Facing these data about a high plasticity environmental fungi and who bring togheter diferents substrates, besides its capacity of cause pathogenies to the human and other animals, we are communicating the occurrence of Paecilomyces spp. in containers of anatomic piece in the hall of anatomy of the Animal Phisiology and Morfology Departament (DMFA) from the Pernambuco Federal Rural University (UFRPE), Brazil.

The occurrence has been percieved since 2000, and get attention for colonising the opened or shunted containers full of formaldeid, wich it form a superficial film up whole container, that according to technicians has a concentration of 10% of the total content, contrasting with papers that mention the capacity of this fungi colonise substrate with a formaldeid concentration of 2%.

Thereby we are iniciating specials studes about the genus Paecilomyces biology, searching steps and procedures to solve the problem. Besides this fungi, is injuring anatomic pieces, represents a risk to technicians health, monitors, professors and pupils that use the place to practice classes.

Acknowledge: Special thanks to Marcelo Paiva for the English correction and Dra. Norma for the fungi identification.

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Correspondence to:
Prof. Dra. Marleyne José Afonso Acioly Lins Amorim
Área de Anatomia, Departamento de Morfologia e Fisiologia Animal
Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco

Rua Dom Manuel de Medeiros S/N
CEP: 50.0000
Dois Irmãos/ Recife ­ PE.
BRASIL
Email: mjaamorim@yahoo.com.br

Received: 16-11-2004
Accepted: 10-06-2005