Bernardes João Paulo Romualdo Alarcão, Tenório Bernardo Guerra, Lucas Joaquim, Paternina Carlos Emilio Molano, da Silva Regianne Kelly Moreira, Erazo Fabián Andrés Hurtado, Silva Pereira Ildinete, Alves Lucas Gomes de Brito, Arenas Paulo Henrique Rosado, Bueno-Rocha Igor Daniel, de Oliveira Lucas Silva, 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, Nicola André Moraes, Teixeira Marcus de Melo
Tropical Medicine Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasília Darcy Ribeiro Campus, Brasília, Brazil.
Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Brasília, Brazil.
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2025 Sep 17;91(9):e0033525. doi: 10.1128/aem.00335-25. Epub 2025 Aug 12.
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 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 surrounding 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, and 74 brain samples), 39 tested positive: 22 lung, 10 spleen, and 7 brain samples. Four bats had DNA in both lungs and brain, and two in both lungs and spleen. By mapping the presence of spp. 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 quantitative PCR for detecting spp. 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。该菌常与富含鸟粪的土壤、低光照度和高湿度相关，特别是在拉丁美洲，该地区是组织胞浆菌病的高流行区。尽管该大陆生物群落多样，但该菌在当地环境和宿主中的分布仍知之甚少。为填补这一知识空白，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以及九个物种的74只蝙蝠的组织样本，开展了一项针对该菌基因的特异性定量PCR检测。我们在80份土壤样本中的16份（20%）以及代表七个物种的33只蝙蝠中检测到该菌DNA。在222份组织样本（74份肺、74份脾和74份脑样本）中，39份检测呈阳性：22份肺样本、10份脾样本和7份脑样本。四只蝙蝠的肺和脑中均有该菌DNA，两只蝙蝠的肺和脾中均有该菌DNA。通过绘制该菌在采样洞穴中的分布情况，我们确定了真菌流行的环境热点，强调了进行针对性监测的必要性。
我们的研究为巴西该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，我们强调了定量PCR在检测环境和生物样本中该菌的实用性，为拉丁美洲未来的流行病学研究提供了支持。
