The eumycetoma Working Group Initiative


Mycetoma Working Group


The Mycetoma Working Group was established in 2007 under the formal umbrella of the ISHAM. Conveners of this group are Dr. Abdalla O. Ahmed (Khartoum, Sudan) and Dr. Wendy van de Sande (Rotterdam, The Netherlands). Aim of this working group is to establish a world-wide network of scientists interested in eumycetoma. In this way joined research programmes can be established. Here we present the first Eumycetoma Working Group Initiative. 

Black grain mycetoma

In the past, a sterile fungus which caused black grain mycetoma was often identified as Madurella mycetomatis. Since the development of modern molecular techniques, such as ITS sequencing, it appeared that some of these fungi were clearly misidentified. Many of them now appear to be new species, not described in the literature. We therefore would like to start a worldwide survey to determine which species are able to cause black grain mycetoma. In order to do this we need your help!

How

If you have a case of black grain mycetoma, please contact us! We will sent you a transport box containing a secure tube with medium. You can sent this box containing the fungal inoculate back to us without cost and we will then determine the strains’ ITS sequence.  

Data obtained

The fungus will be deposited in a central collection and database and will be identified by ITS sequencing at the Erasmus MC. The sequence will be used in the survey. Furthermore, the obtained sequence and its species identification will be mailed back to you, in that way you will be able to improve your future species identification! 
 

Interested to help us? Contact:

Wendy van de Sande, PhD,
Erasmus MC,
Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
s-Gravendijkwal 230
3015CE Rotterdam
Tel. 0031-10-7035225
Fax. 0031-10-7033875
[email protected]