Aerial prevalence of Aspergillus calidoustus isolates in and around a tertiary care hospital in Kuwait and assessment of their pathogenicity.

Seven Aspergillus calidoustus isolates from 486 Aspergillus spp. isolates (1.4% overall prevalence) from outdoor/indoor air samples and one isolate from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of a patient with pneumonia were obtained. These 8 isolates exhibited reduced susceptibility to triazoles. Preliminary pathogenicity data from BALB/c mice suggest that A. calidoustus can persist in tissues for long periods without causing mortality. Further studies using graded doses of inoculum and immunosuppression models are warranted to gain an understanding of the factors associated with its pathogenicity and virulence.