Pythium insidiosum

Pythium insidiosum is a species of Pythium and a member of the class oomycota. Pythium insidiosum is mainly found in standing water and occasionally soil. Unlike most Pythium species, which are generally pathogens of terrestrial plants, Pythium insidiosum is a pathogen of mammals. It causes pythiosis, mainly in horses, dogs, and humans. It is a rarely occurring, non-transmissible disease. Infection can occur in healthy mammals. The pathogen is well-adapted to mammalian body temperature, with an optimum...