SOME BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PATHOGENIC FUNGI NAMED PARACOCCIDIOIDES BRASILIENSIS AND PARACOCCIDIOIDES CEREBRIFORMIS

¹ Instituto de Higiene de Montevideo, Uruguay

P. brasiliensis and P. cerebriformis are different species which may be easily distinguished by studying the utilization of some common nitrogenous compounds and sugars. The first is pathogenic for guinea pigs while the second showed no pathogenic action.

P. tenuis could not be studied but its small morphological differences do not allow us to distinguish it from P. brasiliensis.

The importance of the disease for odontologists is emphasized. Bogliolo³ observed in one case that dental caries and apical processes may be the portal of entry of the organism into the human body, thus producing a very grave, painful, and long systemic disease.