Aspergillus fumigatus, which is ubiquitous in the environment, is the most dangerous fungal pathogen for immunocompromized patients. This is why this species is being studied so widely at present. From May 1 1997 to June 30 2000, the BCCM/IHEM Collection was involved in an EU concerted action (Biomed 2 program, Contract No. BMH4-972481). The acronym was EBGA Network: the European Group for Research on Biotypes and Genotypes of Aspergillus. Eight teams from five European countries, France, Belgium, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Italy, and Germany took part in this study.
The main goals of this project were:

1. to obtain a better understanding of the epidemiology of infections due to A. fumigatus by the study of the genetic polymorphism with molecular methods;
2. to standardize the methods for antifungal susceptibility testing;
3. to test biocides efficient against the fungus;
4. to propose guidelines for prevention of invasive aspergillosis.

To achieve these objectives, 703 strains of A. fumigatus from 112 patients and their environment were collected and freeze-dried in the BCCM/IHEM Collection. The strains had been isolated from two main groups of patients: invasive aspergillosis patients and lung-transplant patients colonized by A. fumigatus. All of the patients were very well documented: the physician recorded the clinical, imaging, mycological and treatment data. Various sampling approaches were used: multiple isolates from the same clinical sample, sequential isolates from the same patient, isolates from different organs in the same patient, and environmental isolates from home or hospital.

Different laboratories from the network were involved in the typing or antifungal susceptibility testing study. They received freeze dried vials prepared at the BCCM/IHEM Collection. This procedure guaranteed the quality of the starting material used to prepare cultures, DNA, and proteic extracts.
During the project, the strains were distributed to the members of the network for their studies and had the status of a restricted collection. The members of the EBGA group decided that this subcollection of A. fumigatus and the related information would be publicly available in the BCCM/IHEM Collection two years after the end of the project (June 2002).
This subcollection is not the only one available as isolates from cystic fibrosis patients have also been collected. These collections are a unique source for in vitro testing of new antifungal molecules and for the study of the biodiversity of clinical isolates of this fungus.

Contact

Françoise Symoens, Eng.
Tel: +32 (0)2 642 56 30
Fax: +32 (0)2 642 55 19
E-mail: francoise.symoens@iph.fgov.be