Table 4.
The advantages and disadvantages of different animal models of mucormycosis.
| Feature | Mouse | Rabbit | Galleria | Drosophila |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathological alterations resemble human mucormycosis | yes | yes | limited | limited |
| Induction of risk factors in human patients | yes | yes | no | (yes) |
| Different routes of infection to mimic different types of mucormycosis | yes | yes | no | (yes) |
| Temperature 37 °C | yes | yes | yes | no |
| Genetically tractable | yes | no | no | yes |
| Molecular tools for host response analysis | yes | limited | limited | yes |
| Costs | moderate | high | low | low |
| Specialized equipment and personal necessary | yes | yes | no | (yes) |
| Ethical considerations | yes | yes | no | no |
| Large-scale screening of fungal strains of antifungal compounds | no | no | yes | yes |