GC: n
S: http://www.mycology.adelaide.edu.au/Mycoses/Subcutaneous/Zygomycosis/ (last access: 31 May 2016); CDC – https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/mucormycosis/ (last access: 31 May 2016).
N: 1. Greek zygon + mykes, fungus.
2. The term zygomycosis describes in the broadest sense any infection due to a member of the Zygomycetes. These are primitive, fast growing, terrestrial, largely saprophytic fungi with a cosmopolitan distribution. To date, some 665 species have been described although infections in humans and animals are generally rare. Medically important orders and genera include:
- Mucorales, causing subcutaneous and systemic zygomycosis (Mucormycosis) – Rhizopus, Lichtheimia, Rhizomucor, Mucor, Cunninghamella, Saksenaea, Apophysomyces, Cokeromyces and Mortierella.
- Entomophthorales, causing subcutaneous zygomycosis (Entomophthoromycosis) – Conidiobolus and Basidiobolus.
3. Mucormycosis is an infection caused by fungi in the orders Mucorales and Entomophthorales. Previously, the term zygomycosis was used to denote invasive fungal infections (IFIs) caused by the fungi belonging to the phylum Zygomycota, class Zygomycetes, orders Mucorales and Entomophthorales. The Mucorales order contains 2 families—Mucoraceae and Cunninghamellaceae. Since the majority of human infections are caused by Mucorales fungi, the term Mucormycosis is now used to designate this infection.
The terms mucormycosis and zygomycosis are used interchangeably here. The Entomophthorales constitute the second order and includes (Conidiobolus species and Basidiobolus species). During the past decade, mucormycosis has emerged as a common causes of IFI.
S: 1. http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/zygomycosis – Mosby’s Medical Dictionary (last access: 31 May 2016). 2. http://www.mycology.adelaide.edu.au/Mycoses/Subcutaneous/Zygomycosis/ (last access: 31 May 2016). 3. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/232465-overview (last access: 31 May 2016).
SYN: mucormycosis
S: CDC – https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/mucormycosis/ (last access: 31 May 2016)
CR: antifungal, fungus, mycosis.
