Aspergillus section Fumigati – Epidemiological trends: a perspective from a National Reference Laboratory

Aspergillus species have emerged as an important cause of life-threatening infections in immunocompromised patients. Aspergillus fumigatus is the most frequent agent of aspergillosis and reports on infections caused by this species or its siblings are becoming more frequent, together with the increasing number of at-risk patients. Nowadays, due to the rising concerns about emerging antifungal resistance, the epidemiological surveillance for clinical and environmental isolates is mandatory. The overall objective of the project is to understand the epidemiology of the Aspergillus isolates (species and antifungal resistance) collected in the Portuguese National Reference Laboratory through our surveillance system on Aspergillus.