Phonetic: Ack-ruh-moan’-ee-um

Acremonium (a.k.a. Cephalosporium) is a common type I & III allergen. Naturally found in soils, decaying organic matter, and plant debris, it is also an agricultural contaminant. This genus can be parasitic or saprophytic to plants and other living fungi, and some species cause vascular wilts in trees. Acremonium is the asexual state of Emericellopsis, Chaetomium, and Nectripsis. It has been known to produce a toxin from the trichothecene group and may also give off an unpleasant odor due to the production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This fungus is associated with occupant complaints such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Acremonium has been isolated from cases of mycetoma, onychomycosis, mycotic keratitis, infection of the cornea, and infections of artificial implants. Morphological characteristics are the production of conidiophores and long, slender phialides; conidia are hyaline, 1-celled, and are collected in a slime drop. Colonies grow fast and are compact and moist, becoming overgrown with loose, cottony hyphae which are white, gray or rose in color. Indoor growth requires extremely wet conditions, and does not grow very well at 37°C. Culture - Potato dextrose agar or Malt extract agar, 20° - 25°C, 7 – 10 days.