Aspergillus spp.

• Worldwide

• Common laboratory contaminants

Aspergillus cleistothecia Copyright Professor Andrew N. Rycroft, BSc, PHD, C. Biol.F.I.Biol., FRCPath

• Widely found in nature
  • Colonise a wide range of substrates under different environmental conditions
  • Abundant in hay, straw and grain which have heated during storage

• Pathogenic species include Aspergillus fumigatus, A. flavus, A. nidulans, A.niger and A. terreus

• May cause primary or secondary disease
  • Infection may be acute, chronic or benign

Produces Aflatoxin