Bipolaris General Information

Bipolaris is a plant parasite and some are pathogenic to grasses.

Bipolaris Species Information

20+ species. Ubiquitous.

Bipolaris Scientific Information

Morphological characteristics of this genus are the production of brown conidia, several-celled, elliptical, straight or curved

Bipolaris Growth Characteristics

This fungus can grow as a mold in semi-dry environments.Dry spore distributed by wind. Bipolaris grows in plant debris, soil and acts as a plant pathogen towards numerous plants, particularly grasses. It can grow inside on a variety of materials.

Is Bipolaris Allergenic?

This fungus causes allergic fungal sinusitis, characterized by the presence of Bipolaris in the sinuses. In certain people with severe allergies, the large spores of this fungus can travel to the sinuses (upper respiratory tract), where they attach to the mucus and grow, producing an unrelenting allergic reaction that progressively and permanently damages the sinuses).

This mold is a potential allergen and is the leading cause of allergic fungal sinusitis. Some of people may experience hay fever, asthma.

Toxins Produced by Bipolaris

Bipolaris has been reported to produce the mycotoxin – sterig-matocystin that has been shown to cause liver and kidney damage when ingested by laboratory animals.

Bipolaris Health Effects

This fungus is associated with phaeohyphomycosis, a disease consisting of a group of mycotic infections characterized by the presence of demataceous septate hyphae. Infections of the eyes and skin by black fungi could also be classified as phaeohyphomycosis).

This mold can present human risk factors. These molds can lead to opportunistic infections in both healthy individuals as well as immunocompromised persons. It is occasionally a cause of phaeohyphomycosis, including keratitis, sinusitis, and osteomyelitis.

Bipolaris Uses

Industrial uses are unknown.

How to test for / identify the presence of Bipolaris

This mold can be identified via air and direct sampling techniques.

Is Bipolaris a "black mold"