The recent removal of Article 59 from the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN) means that there is no longer a provision for fungi to have different names for their sexual and asexual forms.  Consequently, up to 10,000 fungal species names are being (or will soon be) reviewed and rationalised, and changes to some species names will occur.  In many cases, well-established and clinically familiar species names will not change.  However, some names will or have already changed, with potential for confusion both among laboratory staff and for the clinicians interpreting laboratory reports.  For example, Penicillium marneffei is now called Talaromyces marneffei.¹

In addition species complexes (e.g. the Aspergillus fumigatus complex) are increasingly being recognised, representing groups of closely related and morphologically similar species that can only be reliably distinguished by DNA sequencing.

In this presentation I will describe some recent taxonomic changes among clinically important fungi and discuss how these and future changes can best be managed by diagnostic laboratories.