National Aspergillosis Centre

25/08/2025

Launch Event at Affinity Outlet, Fleetwood – 13th September 2025

The Aspergillosis Trust is delighted to announce the launch of a brand-new children’s book, Dad and the Sneaky Spores, written by award-winning author Christina Gabbitas and beautifully illustrated by Ursula Hurst.

This story has been specially commissioned to raise awareness of aspergillosis, a serious lung condition caused by the Aspergillus fungus. Through gentle storytelling and colourful illustrations, the book helps children and families understand what it means to live with a parent affected by aspergillosis.

✨ About the Event

📅 Date: Saturday 13th September 2025
📍 Location: Affinity Outlet, Fleetwood

The launch event will be a fun and informative day for all the family.

✍️ Meet the Author: Christina Gabbitas will be signing copies of the book between 12pm and 2pm.

👩⚕️ Ask the Experts: A qualified nurse will be available to answer medical questions or offer advice.

📚 Learn Together: Families can explore how storytelling can make complex health conditions easier to understand.

📖 About Dad and the Sneaky Spores

The book follows a family’s journey with aspergillosis in a way that children can relate to. It not only explains the illness but also encourages empathy, resilience, and understanding within families.

“The narrative not only educates readers about aspergillosis but is also thoughtfully crafted to foster empathy and understanding.” – Aspergillosis Trust

Published by Poems & Pictures, Dad and the Sneaky Spores is available from 1st August 2025.

💜 Why This Matters

Aspergillosis is a rare and often misunderstood condition. By raising awareness through creative storytelling, this initiative provides a new way to start important conversations with children, families, and the wider community.

🔗 Find out more at: www.aspergillosistrust.org

01/07/2025

🔬 Master the Microscopy of Fungal Infections
Explore Microfungi.net — A 4-Module, CPD-Accredited Course in Fungal Diagnostics
🌐 www.microfungi.net

Microfungi.net is a comprehensive online microscopy training course designed to develop practical, clinically relevant skills for diagnosing fungal infections. Using just a standard light microscope, this course teaches direct (wet) microscopy and histological interpretation across a full range of human tissues — enabling faster, more accurate fungal diagnosis.

🧪 Course Overview:
Structured in 4 detailed modules, the course includes high-resolution histological images, interactive quizzes, practical staining guides, and full assessments:

🔹 Module 1 – Basic microscopy, stain preparations, and foundational staining techniques
🔹 Module 2 – Wet mount methods for direct microscopy across diverse tissue types
🔹 Module 3 – Histological sample preparation and fungal ID in tissue
🔹 Module 4 – Advanced histological interpretation of rare/uncommon fungal infections

💡 No specialised lab required – just a basic microscope and hands-on curiosity.

🎓 Accredited & Practical
Approved by the UK Royal College of Pathologists, with CPD/CME credits awarded:

Module 2 – 18 credits
Module 3 – 24 credits
Module 4 – 30 credits
Each module includes pre- and post-assessments and concludes with a final certification exam.

🌍 Ideal for:
Pathologists | Microbiologists | Infectious Disease Physicians | Lab Scientists | Trainees in Histopathology or Mycology

🧠 Gain diagnostic confidence.
🕵️‍♂️ Identify fungi faster than culture.
📈 Improve early treatment decisions.

👉 Start learning today at www.microfungi.net

The course is designed to teach the identification of fungal infection by direct (wet) microscopy or by histology in a full range of tissue specimens. All that is required is a simple microscope and for histology you will learn how to make stains and correctly interpret them. These skills will assis...

19/05/2025

📢 Global Guidelines for Candida Infections Published
A team of over 100 experts from 35 countries — including researchers from and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust — have published the new global guidelines for diagnosing and managing Candida infections in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

🧪 The nearly 250-page guideline offers:
✅ Unified recommendations across all continents
✅ Guidance on superficial and invasive candidiasis
✅ Focus on antifungal resistance and Candida auris
✅ Latest evidence-based diagnostics and treatments

👏 Dr Riina Rautemaa-Richardson (Mycology Reference Centre Manchester, NIHR BRC) served as one of 12 lead authors.

Article https://research.cmft.nhs.uk/news-events/global-guidelines-on-management-of-fungal-infections-caused-by-candida-published

This is a major step forward in global fungal infection management.
📄 Endorsed by 76 international medical organisations.

16/05/2025

A recent study, led by Dr. Norman van Rhijn of the University of Manchester, warns that climate change is accelerating the spread of dangerous fungi, particularly Aspergillus species, across Europe and beyond. The research, funded by the Wellcome Trust, highlights how rising temperatures and environmental changes are enabling these fungi to thrive in new regions, posing significant health and food security risks.

🔬 Key Findings:Aspergillus fumigatus: Projected to expand its range by 77% by 2100, potentially exposing an additional 9 million people in Europe to infection.Aspergillus flavus: Expected to increase its territory by 16%, affecting around 1 million more individuals. This species produces aflatoxins, toxins that can contaminate crops and are linked to liver cancer.

🧠 Health Implications:Inhalation of Aspergillus spores can lead to aspergillosis, a serious lung infection that may spread to other organs. While healthy individuals are often unaffected, those with compromised immune systems, asthma, or cystic fibrosis are at heightened risk. The World Health Organisation has identified Aspergillus fumigatus as one of the top four dangerous fungal pathogens.

🌍 Environmental and Agricultural Impact:Aspergillus flavus poses a threat to global food supplies by producing aflatoxins that contaminate crops. Higher temperatures and CO₂ levels can boost the toxin's production, exacerbating the risk to food security.

🧪 Call to Action:Experts emphasise the urgent need for increased research, improved diagnostics, and the development of effective antifungal treatments to mitigate the growing threat posed by these fungi. The Wellcome Trust is allocating over £50 million to fungal research in the coming year to better prepare for future challenges. The TimesThis study underscores the broader impact of climate change on public health and food security, highlighting the urgency for global mitigation efforts.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/aspergillus-killer-fungus-forecast-uk-europe-b2746329.html
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/aspergillus-killer-fungus-spread-j8wg6lrhk?
https://www.thesun.ie/health/15158341/health-warning-killer-fungus-global-temperatures-soar-ireland-europe/

09/05/2025

Support Your Patients by Referring to the INCAS Trial
A Feasibility Study of Interferon-Gamma as Adjunctive Therapy in Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis (CPA)
Led by the National Aspergillosis Centre

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) remains a difficult condition to manage, particularly in patients with underlying lung disease such as COPD, previously treated tuberculosis, or bronchiectasis. Long-term antifungal therapy is often required, yet treatment failure, intolerance, and relapse remain common. Current oral antifungal options are limited to a single drug class, often with significant side effects and limited long-term efficacy.

The INCAS trial is a randomised feasibility study evaluating whether interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), a well-established immune modulator used in other conditions, can improve outcomes in CPA when added to standard antifungal therapy.

Why Refer Your CPA Patients?
Promising early data (PubMed ID: 32229542) from our previous pilot study suggests that IFN-γ may reduce disease progression, flare-ups, and hospitalisation rates in patients with persistent CPA.
Interferon-gamma is already in use within the NHS and has been shown to be safe and well tolerated in the CPA population to date.
This trial addresses a critical gap: many patients fail antifungal monotherapy, yet immune dysfunction may be under-recognised as a contributing factor.
Participants receive comprehensive follow-up and care from the multidisciplinary team at the National Aspergillosis Centre.

Who Is Eligible?
Adults with proven CPA who are about to start a new course of antifungal therapy
Able to attend 12 weeks of follow-up
No recent use of systemic immunomodulators
No known hypersensitivity to IFN-γ

Trial Design Highlights
Randomised 1:1 to standard antifungal therapy with or without subcutaneous interferon-gamma
IFN-γ administered 3x/week for 12 weeks
Primary objectives: tolerability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy (radiological progression on CT, quality of life scores)
Results will inform the design of a larger definitive trial

Why This Matters
CPA is a progressive disease with an estimated 5-year mortality of up to 40%. Most patients face lifelong treatment with no guarantee of symptom control. This trial could open the door to an entirely new treatment strategy, grounded in host immune modulation.

Referring your eligible patients to INCAS allows them to access cutting-edge care, contribute to high-impact research, and potentially benefit from an intervention that could change the course of their illness.

Refer or Learn More
📩 Contact the National Aspergillosis Centre
📍 Based at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester
🔗 Full details: https://bit.ly/443PQGm

08/05/2025

Patients meeting in May 2025 is now up for viewing https://aspergillosis.org/national-aspergillosis-centre-meetings-recordings/

25/04/2025

For almost 13 years, NAC, together with our colleagues at the University of Manchester Fungal Research Group (MFIG) have worked side by side with the Fungal Infection Trust (FIT).

In 2021 FIT have received over 220 donations - all of which help to improve awareness, treatment and patient outcomes for all those affected by fungal diseases.

To find out more information about the incredible work of FIT visit: https://bit.ly/3CUX6Uu

If you would like to make a donation to support the work of FIT visit: https://bit.ly/3H194i1

25/04/2025

Improve your inhaler technique in three minutes!

Watch these short videos by Asthma UK to learn how to use your inhaler properly and better manage your respiratory symptoms.

Watch our short video guides about using your inhaler correctly. The right technique will ensure you’re getting the right dose, so you can better manage your symptoms.

24/04/2025

📢How's your knowledge on aspergillus❓

Let Professor Paul Bowyer from the University of Manchester's Fungal Infection Group get you up to speed in 25 minutes with his Hard Science 101 talk!

The aim of World Aspergillosis Day is to raise awareness of a fungal infection that is often underdiagnosed, like many other fungal infections worldwide. Thi...