Bernardes João Paulo Romualdo Alarcão, Tenório Bernardo Guerra, Lucas Joaquim, Paternina Carlos Emilio Molano, da Silva Regianne Kelly Moreira, Erazo Fabián Andrés Hurtado, Pereira Ildinete Silva, Alves Lucas Gomes de Brito, Arenas Paulo Henrique Rosado, Bueno-Rocha Igor Daniel, Magalhães Edvard Dias, de Sousa Herdson Renney, Paes Hugo Costa, Zancopé-Oliveira Rosely Maria, Matute Daniel Ricardo, Felipe Maria Sueli Soares, Aguiar Ludmilla Moura de Souza, Charneau Sébastien Olivier, Nicola André Moraes, Teixeira Marcus de Melo
bioRxiv. 2025 Mar 31:2025.03.31.641930. doi: 10.1101/2025.03.31.641930.
Caves serve as natural reservoirs for diverse microbial species due to their unique biotic and abiotic conditions. spp. is frequently associated with guano-enriched soil, low luminosity, and high humidity, particularly in Latin America, a region highly endemic for histoplasmosis. Despite the continent's diverse biomes, local environmental and host distributions of remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a -specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay targeting the gene on guano samples from seven bat-inhabited caves and tissue samples from 74 bats of nine species in the Federal District of Brazil and surround-ing regions. We detected DNA in 16 of 80 soil samples (20%) and in 33 bats representing seven species. Among 222 tissue samples (74 lung, 74 spleen, 74 brain), 39 tested positive: 22 lung, 10 spleen, and 7 brain samples. Four bats had DNA in both lung and brain, and two in both lung and spleen. By mapping the presence of across sampled caves, we identified environmental hotspots of fungal prevalence, emphasizing the need for targeted surveillance.
Our study provides critical insights into the environmental and host distribution of spp. in Brazil, identifying caves with high fungal prevalence and demonstrating its presence in multiple bat species. These findings underscore the necessity of public health interventions to mitigate the risk of histoplasmosis among cave visitors in the region. Additionally, we highlight the utility of qPCR for detecting in environmental and biological samples, supporting future epidemiological research in Latin America.
由于其独特的生物和非生物条件，洞穴是多种微生物物种的天然储存库。 菌经常与富含鸟粪的土壤、低光照度和高湿度相关联，特别是在拉丁美洲，该地区是组织胞浆菌病的高度流行地区。尽管该大陆生物群落多样，但 菌在当地环境和宿主中的分布仍知之甚少。为了填补这一知识空白，我们针对巴西联邦区及周边地区七个蝙蝠栖息洞穴的鸟粪样本和九个物种的74只蝙蝠的组织样本，进行了靶向 基因的特异性定量PCR（qPCR）检测。我们在80个土壤样本中的16个（20%）以及代表七个物种的33只蝙蝠中检测到了 菌的DNA。在222个组织样本（74个肺、74个脾、74个脑）中，39个检测呈阳性：22个肺样本、10个脾样本和7个脑样本。四只蝙蝠的肺和脑中都有 菌的DNA，两只蝙蝠的肺和脾中都有。通过绘制采样洞穴中 菌的存在情况，我们确定了真菌流行的环境热点，强调了进行有针对性监测的必要性。
我们的研究为巴西 菌在环境和宿主中的分布提供了关键见解，确定了真菌流行率高的洞穴，并证明了其在多种蝙蝠物种中的存在。这些发现强调了公共卫生干预措施对于降低该地区洞穴访客感染组织胞浆菌病风险的必要性。此外，我们强调了qPCR在检测环境和生物样本中 菌方面的实用性，为拉丁美洲未来的流行病学研究提供了支持。
