scholarly journals Greater Mouse-Eared Bats (Myotis myotis) Hibernating in the Nietoperek Bat Reserve (Poland) as a Vector of Airborne Culturable Fungi

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 593
Author(s):  
Justyna Borzęcka ◽  
Agata Piecuch ◽  
Tomasz Kokurewicz ◽  
Kathleen H. Lavoie ◽  
Rafał Ogórek

Bats can contribute to an increase of aeromycota in underground ecosystems and might be a vector/reservoir of microorganisms; however, there is no information about the number and species composition of fungi around hibernating bats. One of the most common species in Europe with direct human contact is the greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis). The goal of our research was the first report of the airborne fungi present in the close vicinity of hibernating M. myotis in the Nietoperek bat reserve (Western Poland) by the use of culture-based techniques and genetic and phenotypic identifications. Aerobiological investigations of mycobiota under hibernating bats were performed on two culture media (PDA and YPG) and at two incubation temperatures (7 and 24 ± 0.5 °C). Overall, we detected 32 fungal species from three phyla (Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Zygomycota) and 12 genera. The application of YPG medium and the higher incubation temperature showed higher numbers of isolated fungal species and CFU. Penicillium spp. were dominant in the study, with spores found outside the underground hibernation site from 51.9% to 86.3% and from 56.7% to 100% inside the bat reserve. Penicillium chrysogenum was the most frequently isolated species, then Absidia glauca, Aspergillus fumigatus, A. tubingensis, Mortierella polycephala, Naganishia diffluens, and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. Temperature, relative humidity, and the abundance of bats correlated positively with the concentration of airborne fungal propagules, between fungal species diversity, and the concentration of aeromycota, but the number of fungal species did not positively correlate with the number of bats. The air in the underground site was more contaminated by fungi than the air outside; however, the concentration of aeromycota does not pose a threat for human health. Nevertheless, hibernating bats contribute to an increase in the aeromycota and as a vector/reservoir of microscopic fungi, including those that may cause allergies and infections in mammals, and should be monitored.

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vesna Krnjaja ◽  
Slavica Stankovic ◽  
Milos Lukic ◽  
Nenad Micic ◽  
Tanja Petrovic ◽  
...  

This study was carried out in order to investigate the natural occurrence of toxigenic fungi and levels of zearalenone (ZEA), deoxynivalenol (DON) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in the maize stored immediately after harvesting in 2016 and used for animal feed in Serbia. A total of 22 maize samples were collected from four different districts across the country: City of Belgrade (nine samples), Sumadija (eight samples), Podunavlje (four samples) and Kolubara (one sample). Toxigenic fungi were identified according to the morphological characteristics whereas the mycotoxins contamination were detected using biochemistry enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent (ELISA) assay. The tested samples were mostly infected with Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium spp., except that one sample originated from Kolubara was not contaminated with Aspergillus species. Fusarium graminearum was the most common species in the maize sample from Kolubara district (60%), F. verticillioides in the maize samples from Podunavlje (43.75%) and City of Belgrade (22.4%) districts, and Penicillium spp. in the maize samples from Sumadija district (26.38%). In the analysed maize samples the presence of Aspergillus species was low (0-1.78%). Mycotoxicological analysis revealed the presence of zearalenone (ZEA), deoxynivalenol (DON) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in all the investigated samples, except that DON and AFB1 were not recorded in the samples from Podunavlje and Kolubara districts, respectively. The investigated samples were highly contaminated with ZEA, with incidence of 100% for the samples from Sumadija, Podunavlje and Kolubara districts and 88.89% for the samples from City of Belgrade district. In addition, the samples contamination with DON was 100% and 22.2% for the samples from Sumadija, Kolubara and City of Belgrade, districts, respectively. The highest number of AFB1 positive samples was found in Sumadija district (87.5%), while in the City of Belgrade and Podunavlje districts, 55.56% and 50% AFB1 positive samples were established, respectively. Generally, remarkable infection of all the tested samples with toxigenic fungal species from Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium genera were recorded. In addition, high contamination with mycotoxins ZEA, DON and AFB1 were also recorded; nevertheless, only in one sample the level of DON exceeded the allowed legal limit (1750 ?g kg-1) according to Regulation for unprocessed maize. Therefore, permanent mycological and mycotoxicological analyses of maize grain are necessary for risk assessment of fungal and mycotoxin contamination throughout the food chain.


2007 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 587-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Soares do Nascimento ◽  
Augusto Ferreira da Eira

The false truffle is one of the main problems in the production of the Agaricus brasiliensis in Brazil and the control of this fungal competitor has been rather difficult due to difficulties in the isolation and cultivation of this pathogen. This experiment was conducted in three stages, the first consisting of the isolation of Diehliomyces microsporus starting from portions of the fruiting body and through the ascospores suspension; second, D. microsporus cultivated in vitro at 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35ºC in six different culture media (CSDA, OCDA, PCDA, ODA, PDA, CDA); third, D. microsporus was inoculated on sterilized compost for formation of the fruiting body. The colony formation from tissue of D. microsporus starting from portions of fruiting body was more efficient than germination of the ascospores. Compost medium (CDA) allowed a larger diameter of the D. microsporus colony, followed by the medium made up of compost and potato mixture, favoring a denser composition. The largest mycelial growth speed of D. microsporus occurred when the culture was incubated at 28 and 30ºC. Incubation temperatures lower than 15ºC or above 35ºC inhibited the mycelial growth of D. microsporus completely. The fruiting bodies were obtained easily in sterilized compost and later inoculated along with mycelial competitor.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 61-66
Author(s):  
Ola Hashem ◽  
Viola Zaki ◽  
Rawia Adawy

Objective: To study the incidence and seasonal dynamics of different fungi affected freshwater fishes in Lake Manzala with molecular identification of the isolated fungi. Animals: 300 Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and 300 catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Design: Descriptive study. Procedures: Random samples of Oreochromis niloticus (O. niloticus) and Clarias gariepinus (C. gariepinus) were collected from Manzala fish farms. Clinical and postmortem examination of fish was applied. Isolation and identification of different fungi were performed by conventional methods. Furthermore, the molecular characterization of isolated fungi was carried out. Results: C. gariepinus had a higher rate of infection with different fungal species than O. niloticus. Aspergillus spp. (Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus) were the most fungal isolated from the examined fishes, followed by Penicillium spp. and Candida albicans. Aspergillus spp were detected in all seasons with a higher rate in summer and spring. A. flavus, A. niger, Penicillium spp. and C.albicans isolates were amplified from both C. gariepinus and O. niloticus at the specified molecular weight using PCR. Conclusion and clinical relevance: Fungal infection affected the fish showing different external and internal lesions, all species of Aspergillus were found in all seasons with a high rate in, hot seasons, summer and spring. The Prevalence of Penicillium and C. albicans were also reported. All fungal isolates were identified on the phenotypic and molecular bases.


Weed Science ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 595-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. V. Toai ◽  
D. L. Linscott

We studied the effects of temperature (5, 10, 20, and 30 C) on the phytotoxic activity of decaying quackgrass [Agropyron repens (L.) Beauv.] leaves and rhizomes that were incubated in soils for 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seeds were grown for 96 h in water, water extracts of control soils, and water extracts of soil with quackgrass rhizomes or leaves. Dried quackgrass rhizomes and leaves contained water-soluble toxins that inhibited alfalfa seedling development and growth. There was a strong interaction between incubation time and temperature on the development of additional toxins by decomposing quackgrass. High incubation temperature (30 C) accelerated toxin formation and ultimate decay. Intermediate temperature (20 C) delayed toxin formation and decay. Low incubation temperatures (5 C and 10 C) prevented formation of additional toxin. In all extracts of quackgrass and soil that had been incubated for 6 weeks, normal alfalfa seedling number equaled that in water. However, seedling growth varied with incubation temperatures.Treatment of quackgrass with glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine] in the greenhouse did not influence the toxicity of decaying quackgrass leaves. The highest toxic effect was noted after 1 week of decay on the soil surface.


Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 497
Author(s):  
Rafał Ogórek ◽  
Mateusz Speruda ◽  
Justyna Borzęcka ◽  
Agata Piecuch ◽  
Magdalena Cal

Most underground ecosystems are heterotrophic, fungi in these objects are dispersed in the air in the form of spores, and they may be potentially hazardous to mammals. Research in underground sites has focused on mesophilic airborne fungi and only a few concerned cold-adapted species. Therefore, the goal of our research was the first report of psychrophilic and psychrotolerant aeromycota in the Brestovská Cave using culture-based techniques with genetic and phenotypic identification. Plates with PDA medium containing sampled biological material were incubated at 8 ± 0.5 °C. The density of mycobiota inside the cave ranged from 37.4 to 71 CFU 1 m−3 of air and 63.3 CFU 1 m−3 of air outside the cave. Thus, the level of fungal spores did not exceed the standards for the mycological quality of the air. A total of 18 species were isolated during the study, and some species may be potentially dangerous to people with weakened immune system. All fungal species were present inside the cave and only seven of them were outside. Cladosporium cladosporioides dominated in the external air samples and Mortierella parvispora was cultured most frequently from internal air samples. To our knowledge, this is the first discovery of the fungal species such as Coniothyrium pyrinum, Cystobasidium laryngis, Filobasidium wieringae, Leucosporidium drummii, M. parvispora, Mrakia blollopis, Nakazawaea holstii, and Vishniacozyma victoriae in the air inside the underground sites. Moreover, C. pyrinum, C. laryngis, L. drummii, M. blollopis, and N. holstii have never been detected in any component of the underground ecosystems. There are possible reasons explaining the detection of those species, but global warming is the most likely.


1989 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 474-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christon J. Hurst ◽  
William H. Benton ◽  
Kim A. McClellan

The long-term survival of three human enterovirus serotypes, Coxsackievirus B3, echovirus 7, and poliovirus 1 was examined in samples of surface freshwater collected from five sites of physically different character. These were an artificial lake created by damming a creek, a small groundwater outlet pond, both a large- and a medium-sized river, and a small suburban creek. Survival was studied at temperatures of −20, 1, and 22 °C. The average amount of viral inactivation was 6.50–7.0 log10 units over 8 weeks at 22 °C, 4–5 log10 units over 12 weeks at 1 °C, and 0.4–0.8 log10 units over 12 weeks at −20 °C. The effect of incubation temperature upon viral inactivation rate was statistically significant (p < 0.00001). As determined by pairing tests, survival was also significantly related to both viral serotype and water source at each of the three incubation temperatures (p ≤ 0.05). Efforts were made to determine whether the rate of viral inactivation observed at the different incubation temperatures was related to characteristics inherent to the water that was collected from the different locations. The characteristics examined included physical and chemical parameters, indigenous bacterial counts, and the amount of bacterial growth that the waters would support (measured as the maximum number of generations which seeded bacteria could undergo after being placed into either pasteurized or sterile-filtered water samples). Analysis of viral inactivation rate versus these characteristics revealed three apparent effectors of viral persistence. These were (i) hardness and conductivity, both of which strongly correlated with one another; (ii) turbidity and suspended solids content, both of which strongly correlated with one another; and (iii) the number of generations of bacterial growth that a sample was capable of supporting, which also correlated with hardness and conductivity.Key words: virus, survival, inactivation rate, water.


Author(s):  
Jesús García-Grajales ◽  
Juan Francisco Meraz ◽  
José Luis Arcos García ◽  
Eustacio Ramírez Méndez

The influence of nest incubation temperatures on the carapace shape and morphological traits of Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli 1761) hatchlings incubated in two hatcheries of Oaxaca, Mexico was evaluated. This study was carried out from October 2016 through May 2017. On each beach, there are community groups consisting of volunteers without association with universities, that protect and relocate the nests to increase hatching success. In each translocated nest, a data logger was placed in the centre of the egg mass. Hatchlings were collected as they emerged from each nest. The carapaces of the hatchlings were photographed and subjected to geometric morphometric analysis; later, hatchlings were weighed and their bodies were measured. The mean temperature of 12 nests in each hatchery were recorded, with no significant differences between hatcheries. The principal component analysis (PCA) revealed an overlapping of the carapace shape under different duration of temperature. Temperature had a significant influence on hatchling morphology. Higher mean incubation temperatures produced hatchlings with low weight, smaller appendage; narrower carapace width and shorter flippers length. Lower mean incubation temperatures produced hatchlings that had greater weight, greater appendage width, wider carapace width and longer flipper length. Results indicate that the D. coriacea hatchlings incubated in hatcheries demonstrate morphology that varies in relation to nest incubation temperature in a similar way to hatchlings produced in natural environments.


2010 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 753-761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Moura Mascarin ◽  
Sérgio Batista Alves ◽  
Rogério Biaggioni Lopes

This work investigated the production of the fungi Isaria fumosorosea and Isaria farinosa in biphasic fermentation using agro-industrial products and residues. Combinations of natural liquid substrates, alternative to the complete medium and potato dextrose medium, were evaluated. The best liquid media were sugarcane molasses + rice broth, rice broth + yeast and sugarcane molasses + yeast + rice broth, which resulted in the highest viable propagule concentration. The molasses + rice broth medium was selected for the next phase of the study in which the production of both fungal isolates was evaluated in solid grain substrates. In solid-state fermentation, the best conidia production was achieved with the soybean meal and broken corn for I. farinosa, and whole rice and broken rice for I. fumosorosea. Results demonstrated that the two fungal species could be rapidly produced with higher yield of conidia on agro-industrial resources by using biphasic fermentation techniques.


2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 591-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel Alonso ◽  
Susana Tiscornia ◽  
Acelino Couto Alfenas ◽  
Lina Bettucci

Trees with stem bark lesions are frequently observed in Eucalyptus globulus Labill. plantations, particularly in the central west region of Uruguay. These lesions constitute a problem for trunk decortications at harvest and they also facilitate the access of fungi that could cause wood decay. Seven, three and oneyear-old plantations, located at three sites in close proximity were selected. Four types of trunk lesions were present in trees regardless the age of plantation and more than one type was found in each plantation. The aim of this study was to investigate the fungal composition associated with these lesions and compare them to healthy tissues and try to find out the origin of these symptoms. Another purpose was to elucidate the real role of the fungi considered pathogens by means of experimental inoculations. Segments from lesions and healthy tissues yielded 897 fungal isolates belonging to 32 taxa, 681 isolates from bark lesions and 216 from healthy tissues. Both healthy and symptomatic tissues showed similar fungal species composition, but with differences in frequencies of colonization. Cytospora eucalypticola Van der Westhuizen, Botryosphaeria spp., Pestalotiopsis guepinii (Desm.) Stey. and Penicillium spp. were the dominant species isolated. As symptoms were not reproduced after experimental inoculation with Botryosphaeria ribis Grossenb. & Duggar and B. eucalyptorum Crous, & M.J. Wingf, it could be suggested that these lesions were originated by unfavorable environmental conditions. The frost that occurred for several days out of season and flooding may have been involved in the development of bark lesion.


2000 ◽  
Vol 63 (10) ◽  
pp. 1399-1403 ◽  
Author(s):  
URSULA PEINTNER ◽  
JOHANNES GEIGER ◽  
REINHOLD PÖDER

Speck is a ham specialty product traditionally produced in South Tyrol (Italy) and North Tyrol (Austria) by farmers, butcheries, and meat industries. To date, nothing has been learned about fungi associated with this smoked and cured meat. Therefore, it was the main objective of this study to assess the typical mycobiota of Speck in relation to the different production types and the geographic provenance. A total of 121 Speck samples from North Tyrol and South Tyrol was analyzed. From 63 isolated fungal species, only a few can be regarded as typical colonizers: Eurotium rubrum and Penicillium solitum were the dominating species in all types and parts of Speck (crust, meat, and fat). Eight other Penicillium spp. were relatively frequent. The species diversity increased from industrially produced Speck to products from butcheries and farmers, and it was higher in all types of South Tyrolean products. Among the typical mycobiota, Penicillium verrucosum, Penicillium canescens, and Penicillium commune are known as potentially mycotoxigenic.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document