Fourth meeting of the ISHAM working groups on Black Yeasts and Chromoblastomycosis
Hidden Danger, Bright Promise
Curitiba, Brazil, 1−4 December, 2011
Report 
The event included themes on new concepts on symbiotic interactions of black yeasts, bioremediation and a current overview of diseases in humans and animals. There was a huge opportunity for debate among scientists and clinicians, particularly on human diseases with significant impact such as chromoblastomycosis, a disease with impressive records in Brazil and China. Novel data on the lethargic crab disease in the Uca crab population at the northeastern Brazilian coast were also discussed. A Brazilian Black Yeast Network was introduced.
The presentations at the workshop were organized in themes. The opening speech was given by Sybren de Hoog overviewing latest achievements and future questions, followed by Flávio Queiroz-Telles who introduced the Brazilian Network. Sanjay Revankar reported on his recent experience on the MSG Phaeohyphomycoses Network, in cooperation with the ISHAM Working Group Fungiscope. Other themes, such as the biotechnological potential and biodiversity of melanized fungi, recent progress in melanin research, and the development of compounds with antifungal activity were debated. The workshop updated knowledge on treatment of diseases caused by black yeast infections.
On the following day, the event focused on clinical themes including a visit to the teaching hospital of the Paraná State Federal University. Live patients with chromoblastomycosis and mycetoma were shown and discussed. On the last day a visit to a mangrove area was organized in order to draw the participants’ attention to the natural habitat of edible crabs where currently a black yeast epidemic takes place.
The meeting counted 73 participants from 11 countries. The event included 43 speeches and 18 posters, with a broad theme diversity showing recent results about taxonomy, molecular techniques, identification and diagnosis of clinical and environmental agents, besides genome analysis data. Electronic abstracts, lectures in PDF files and a DVD of the event are available. The DVD will be sent by regular mail.
The event was quite accessible, organized at relatively low costs intending to encourage a large participation of scientists and clinicians, since this was the first time that the workshop was held outside Europe. It was partly supported by the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology. Other organizational costs came from the Brazilian Agencies of Financial Support such as the Regional Foundation of Paraná State – “Fundação Araucaria” and the governmental support agency – “CAPES”. Other supporters were “GIA”, Cedro Laboratory and Induslab Company (see the financial reports on attached files).
From this event, new doors were opened for international and intercontinental cooperation involving both clinicians and scientists. At the end of the workshop a list was presented with all (about 20) full genomes that are currently being sequenced and annotated by different consortia and plans were made for experimental reproduction and detection of agents of chromoblastomycosis in environmental sources.
The next meeting of the Black Yeast Working Group will be a symposium at the ISHAM Congress in Berlin (12 June, 2012 at 11.00 AM), and a full meeting is planned in 2013 in Guangzhou, China.
The organizers,
Vania Vicente, Sybren de Hoog, Derlene Attili de Angelis and Flávio Queiros Telles.