Molecular detection of airborne Emergomyces africanus, a thermally dimorphic fungal pathogen, in Cape Town, South Africa
Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Public Library of Science
Abstract
Emergomyces africanus is a thermally dimorphic fungus that causes a systemic mycosis in immunocompromised persons in South Africa. Infection is presumed to follow inhalation of airborne propagules. We developed a quantitative PCR protocol able to detect as few as 5 Es. africanus propagules per day. Samples were collected in Cape Town, South Africa over 50 weeks by a Burkard spore trap with an alternate orifice. We detected Es. africanus in air samples from 34 days (10%) distributed over 11 weeks. These results suggest environmental exposure to airborne Es. africanus propagules occurs more commonly in endemic areas than previously appreciated.
Description
CITTION: Schwartz, I. S., et al. 2018. Molecular detection of airborne Emergomyces africanus, a thermally dimorphic fungal pathogen, in Cape Town, South Africa. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 12(1):e0006174, doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0006174.
The original publication is available at https://journals.plos.org/plosntds
The original publication is available at https://journals.plos.org/plosntds
Keywords
Emergomyces africanus -- Detection -- South Africa -- Cape Town, Airborne infection -- Detection, Pathogenic microorganisms -- Detection, Thermally dimorphic fungi, Systemic mycoses
Citation
Schwartz, I. S., et al. 2018. Molecular detection of airborne Emergomyces africanus, a thermally dimorphic fungal pathogen, in Cape Town, South Africa. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 12(1):e0006174, doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0006174