Journal of Fungi Review Biotic Environments Supporting the Persistence of Clinically Relevant Mucormycetes Malcolm D. Richardson 1,2,* and Riina Rautemaa-Richardson 1,2,3 1 Mycology Reference Centre Manchester, ECMM Excellence Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester M23 9LT, UK;
[email protected] 2 Division of Infection, Immunity & Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9NT, UK 3 Department of Infectious Diseases, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester M23 9LT, UK * Correspondence:
[email protected] Received: 14 March 2019; Accepted: 17 December 2019; Published: 20 December 2019 Abstract: Clinically relevant members of the Mucorales group can grow and are found in diverse ecological spaces such as soil, dust, water, decomposing vegetation, on and in food, and in hospital environments but are poorly represented in mycobiome studies of outdoor and indoor air. Occasionally, Mucorales are found in water-damaged buildings. This mini review examines a number of specialised biotic environments, including those revealed by natural disasters and theatres of war, that support the growth and persistence of these fungi. However, we are no further forward in understanding exposure pathways or the chronicity of exposure that results in the spectrum of clinical presentations of mucormycosis. Keywords: Mucorales; mucormycosis; ecological niches; spore dispersal 1. Introduction The natural habitats of mucoraceous moulds have been exhaustively reviewed up to 2000 by Ribes and colleagues [1]. It is clear that there is a vast diversity of environments where these fungi have been found. However, it is not clear whether the growth of Mucorales in these habitats constitutes a major exposure and infection risk.