The genus Conidiobolus Bref. is widely distributed and the Conidiobolus sensu lato contained three other genera, Capillidium, Microconidiobolus and Neoconidiobolus. A molecular phylogeny based on the nuclear large subunit of rDNA (nucLSU), the mitochondrial small subunit of rDNA (mtSSU) and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene (TEF1) revealed three novel species within the clade of Conidiobolus s.s., i.e. C. bifurcatussp. nov., C. taihushanensissp. nov. and C. variabilissp. nov. These three species were isolated from plant debris in eastern China. Morphologically, C. bifurcatussp. nov. is characterised by its secondary conidiophores often branched at the tip to form two short stipes each bearing a secondary conidium. C. taihushanensissp. nov. is different from the others in its straight apical mycelia and the production of 2–5 conidia. C. variabilissp. nov. is distinctive because of its various shapes of primary conidia. All these three new taxa are illustrated herein with an update key to the species of the genus Conidiobolus s.s.

Neoconidiobolus thromboides is a pandemic species in the genus Neoconidiobolus. In this article, we report the first complete sequence of mitochondrial genome from a common entomophthoroid fungus Neoconidiobolus thromboides under Illumina next-generation sequencing system. The total length of the mitogenome is 34,984 bp with a GC content of 26.99%. The gene annotation revealed 56 genes, including 30 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rDNAs), 24 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. Phylogenetic analyses of 14 concatenated conserved PCGs indicated that N. thromboides was grouped with Capillidium heterosporum and Conidiobolus sp.

Background: Since initially detected in late December 2019, the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak rapidly swept the world, which has profoundly affected healthcare system and clinical practice in the management of gastrointestinal diseases. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the pattern of hospital admissions and healthcare services for acute pancreatitis (AP). Design: We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study using the anonymized electronic medical records. Methods: This single-center, retrospective observational study from a regional medical center in the northeast of China included all consecutively admitted patients with AP from 23 January to 10 June 2020 (during the COVID-19 outbreak in Harbin), compared with the equivalent period of the previous year, in terms of demographics, clinical characteristics, and in-hospital outcomes. Results: In this article, we observed a reduction in AP admissions after the beginning of COVID-19 outbreak. With the prolonged time from symptom onset to hospitalization [32.0 (22.0–72.0) versus 18.0 (12.0–24.0) h; p < 0.001], a higher proportion of AP patients developed acute renal failure (14.0% versus 7.4%, p = 0.004) and acute necrotic collection (16.5% versus 11.2%; p = 0.038) in the COVID-19 era. The percentage of alcohol etiology significantly decreased after the implementation of social restriction measures (11.5% versus 20.4%; p = 0.002), whereas biliary etiology was numerically more common amidst the COVID-19 era (41.6% versus 32.6%; p = 0.014). No significant differences were found in the rates of intensive care unit admission and mortality between the two groups. Conclusion: This study preliminarily demonstrated the descending trend and delay in hospital presentations for AP during the outbreak of COVID-19. Given that the pandemic may persist for several years, adjustments of medical services according to the varying degrees of local breakouts are imperative to provide appropriate care for AP patients and diminish the risk of viral transmission. Registration: ClincialTrials.gov number ChiCTR2100043350.

The genus Neoconidiobolus was recently established to accommodate all members of the Conidiobolus subgenus Conidiobolus. Based on mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU), nuclear large subunit (nucLSU) of rDNA and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1), this study further resolved the genus Neoconidiobolus into three clades, with three new taxa being added. They are N. kunyushanensis B. Huang & Y. Nie, sp. nov., N. lamprauges (Drechsler) B. Huang & Y. Nie, comb. nov., and N. nanodes (Drechsler) B. Huang & Y. Nie, comb. nov. Meanwhile, a morphologial comparison among species in the three clades and a key to the species of the genus Neoconidiobolus are provided herein.

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Microconidiobolus nodosus was sequenced which is the first mitochondrial genome of the genus. The mitochondrial genome is 31,638 bp long and 27.18% in GC ratio, and it contains 14 conserved protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNAs and 22 transfer RNAs. Phylogenetic analysis showed that M. nodosus was closely related to Conodiobolus sp. This study reported the whole mitochondrial genome and character of a basal fungus M .nodosus and provided a better understanding of the phylogeny of basal fungi.