Case report: a fatal case of Aspergillus felis infection in an immunocompetent host

Jill Parkes-Smith; Michelle J Bauer; Haakon Bergh; Anthony Eidan; Brian M Forde; John Hilton; Timothy J Kidd; Campbell Schmidt; Adam G Stewart; Patrick N A Harris

doi:10.1099/acmi.0.000453

Case report: a fatal case of Aspergillus felis infection in an immunocompetent host

Access Microbiol. 2022 Nov 21;4(11):acmi000453. doi: 10.1099/acmi.0.000453. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Jill Parkes-Smith^{1

2

3}, Michelle J Bauer⁴, Haakon Bergh¹, Anthony Eidan^{2

3}, Brian M Forde⁴, John Hilton³, Timothy J Kidd^{1

2}, Campbell Schmidt³, Adam G Stewart^{1

3

4}, Patrick N A Harris^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Pathology Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
² University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
³ Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
⁴ UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Abstract

We report a fatal case of Aspergillus felis invasive rhinosinusitis with secondary cerebral abscesses in an immunocompetent host despite aggressive surgical debridement and combination antifungals. Whilst this organism is known to cause fatalities in cats, only a few cases in humans have been documented, all of which had significant immunosuppression. This is the first human death due to A. felis described in an immunocompetent host.

Keywords: Aspergillus felis; aspergillosis; cryptic Aspergillus species.

Publication types

Case Reports