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Article

Occurrence of Cryptococcus neoformans and Other Yeast-like Fungi in Environmental Sources in Bonaire (Dutch Caribbean)

by
Harish C Gugnani
1,2,*,
Ferry Hagen
3,4,
Jacques F Meis
5 and
Arunaloke Chakrabarti
6
1
Mycology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institue, University of Delhi, J 3/45, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi 1110027, India
2
Saint James School of Medicine, The Quarter, Anguilla
3
Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
4
Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Weg door Jonkerbos 100, Nijmegen, 6532 SZ Gelderland, The Netherlands
5
Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Weg door Jonkerbos 100, Nijmegen, 6532 SZ Gelderland, The Netherlands
6
Department of Medical Microbiology, Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Sector 12, Chandigarh 160012, India
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
GERMS 2020, 10(3), 195-200; https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2020.1205
Submission received: 11 July 2020 / Revised: 15 August 2020 / Accepted: 21 August 2020 / Published: 1 September 2020

Abstract

Introduction: We report here the presence of Cryptococcus neoformans, and other potentially pathogenic yeasts and yeast-like fungi in environmental sources in Bonaire. Methods: Seventy environmental samples comprising 40 samples of old pigeon droppings, 18 of woody debris from hollows of living trees of Caesalpinia (‘Divi Divi’), Ziziphus jujuba (Red Indian date), Tamarindus indica (Tamarind), Terminalia catappa (Tropical almond), Azadirachta indica (Neem) and 3 of other unidentified species of trees, 3 of latex from a rubber tree and 6 of coral dust were processed for isolation of pathogenic Cryptococcus spp. and other potentially pathogenic yeasts and yeast-like fungi. A variety of mycological media were employed. Identification of the isolates was done with conventional techniques and species identification was done by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Results: Three of the 40 samples from old pigeon droppings yielded Cryptococcus neoformans, constituting the first record of environmental occurrence of this important pathogenic yeast in the Dutch Caribbean. Other potentially pathogenic yeasts and yeast-like fungi recovered from these environmental samples included 6 isolates each of Candida albicans, 8 of Candida parapsilosis, 4 each of Candida metapsilosis and Candida orthopsilosis, 2 each of Candida carpophila, Candida famata, Candida fabianii and Candida pelliculosa, 7 of Candida spp., 5 of Trichosporon spp. and 2 of Sporobolomyces spp. Conclusions: This study has demonstrated for the first time the occurrence of C. neoformans in a natural habitat in the Dutch Caribbean. The recovery of many species of potentially pathogenic yeast-like fungi and yeasts from environmental sources is remarkable.
Keywords: environmental yeasts; Cryptococcus neoformans; Candida spp.; Trichosporon spp.; Sporobolomyces spp. environmental yeasts; Cryptococcus neoformans; Candida spp.; Trichosporon spp.; Sporobolomyces spp.

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MDPI and ACS Style

Gugnani, H.C.; Hagen, F.; Meis, J.F.; Chakrabarti, A. Occurrence of Cryptococcus neoformans and Other Yeast-like Fungi in Environmental Sources in Bonaire (Dutch Caribbean). GERMS 2020, 10, 195-200. https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2020.1205

AMA Style

Gugnani HC, Hagen F, Meis JF, Chakrabarti A. Occurrence of Cryptococcus neoformans and Other Yeast-like Fungi in Environmental Sources in Bonaire (Dutch Caribbean). GERMS. 2020; 10(3):195-200. https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2020.1205

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gugnani, Harish C, Ferry Hagen, Jacques F Meis, and Arunaloke Chakrabarti. 2020. "Occurrence of Cryptococcus neoformans and Other Yeast-like Fungi in Environmental Sources in Bonaire (Dutch Caribbean)" GERMS 10, no. 3: 195-200. https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2020.1205

APA Style

Gugnani, H. C., Hagen, F., Meis, J. F., & Chakrabarti, A. (2020). Occurrence of Cryptococcus neoformans and Other Yeast-like Fungi in Environmental Sources in Bonaire (Dutch Caribbean). GERMS, 10(3), 195-200. https://doi.org/10.18683/germs.2020.1205

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