Cutaneous Lesions in Cetaceans: An Indicator of Ecosystem Status?

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Yeast infection in a beached southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) neonate

The original publication is available at http://www.jwildlifedis.org/A female southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) neonate was found stranded on the Western Cape coast of southern Africa. Skin samples were taken the same day from three different locations on the animal’s body and stored at 220 C. Isolation through repetitive culture of these skin sections yielded a single yeast species, Candida zeylanoides. Total genomic DNA also was isolated directly from skin samples. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region of the fungal ribosomal gene cluster revealed the presence of Filobasidiella neoformans var. neoformans, the teleomorphic state of Cryptococcus neoformans. Fungal infections in cetaceans seem to be limited when compared to infections caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites. However, Candida species appear to be the most common type of fungal infection associated with cetaceans. To our knowledge this is the first report of a C. zeylanoides infection in a mysticete, as well as the first report of a dual infection involving two opportunistic pathogenic yeast species in a cetacean.Publishers' versio

Draft genome sequence of the lignocellulose-degrading ascomycete coniochaeta pulveracea CAB

CITATION: Borstlap, C. J., et al. 2019. Draft genome sequence of the lignocellulose-degrading ascomycete coniochaeta pulveracea CAB. Microbiology Resource Announcements, 8(1):e01429-18, doi:10.1128/MRA.01429-18.The original publication is available at https://journals.asm.orgConiochaeta pulveracea is a soft-rot-causing ascomycete able to degrade lignocellulosic biomass. The first draft genome sequence of strain CAB 683 reported here has an estimated size of 30 Mb assembled into 852 scaffolds and 10,035 predicted protein-coding genes.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/MRA.01429-18Publisher’s versio

50 years of Emmonsia disease in humans: the dramatic emergence of a cluster of novel fungal pathogens

New species of Emmonsia-like fungi, with phylogenetic and clinical similarities to Blastomyces and Histoplasma, have emerged as causes of systemic human mycoses worldwide. They differ from classical Emmonsia species by producing a thermally-dependent, yeast-like phase rather than adiaspores, and by causing disseminated infections, predominantly in immunocompromised patients and often with high case-fatality rates. Such differences will be important for clinicians to consider in diagnosis and patient management, and for microbiologists who may encounter these fungi with increasing frequency

Emergomyces africanus in soil, South Africa

We detected Emergomyces africanus, a thermally dimorphic fungus that causes an HIV-associated systemic mycosis, by PCR in 18 (30%) of 60 soil samples from a wide range of habitats in South Africa. Direct and indirect culture techniques were unsuccessful. Experimental intraperitoneal inoculation of conidia induced murine disease

Antenatal Doppler screening for fetuses at risk of adverse outcomes : a multicountry cohort study of the prevalence of abnormal resistance index in low-risk pregnant women

INTRODUCTION: Few interventions exist to address the high burden of stillbirths in apparently healthy pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To establish whether a trial on the impact of routine Doppler screening in a low-risk obstetric population is warranted, we determined the prevalence of abnormal fetal umbilical artery resistance indices among low-risk pregnant women using a low-cost Doppler device in five LMICs. METHODS: We conducted a multicentre, prospective cohort study in Ghana, India, Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa. Trained nurses or midwives performed a single, continuous-wave Doppler screening using the Umbiflow device for low-risk pregnant women (according to local guidelines) between 28 and 34 weeks' gestation. We assessed the prevalence of abnormal (raised) resistance index (RI), including absent end diastolic flow (AEDF), and compared pregnancy and health service utilisation outcomes between women with abnormal RI versus those with normal RI. RESULTS: Of 7151 women screened, 495 (6.9%) had an abnormal RI, including 14 (0.2%) with AEDF. Caesarean section (40.8% vs 28.1%), labour induction (20.5% vs 9.0%) and low birth weight (<2500 g) (15.0% vs 6.8%) were significantly more frequent among women with abnormal RI compared with women with normal RI. Abnormal RI was associated with lower birth weights across all weight centiles. Stillbirth and perinatal mortality rates were similar between women with normal and abnormal RI. CONCLUSION: A single Doppler screening of low-risk pregnant women in LMICs using the Umbiflow device can detect a large number of fetuses at risk of growth restriction and consequent adverse perinatal outcomes. Many perinatal deaths could potentially be averted with appropriate intervention strategies.UNDP-UNFPA-UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP)http://bmjopen.bmj.comObstetrics and GynaecologyStatistic

The intimate relationship between man and yeast : it's complicated

Inaugural address delivered on 6 June 2011 by prof Alf Botha.Yeasts public health service; resource allocation; have been associated with mankind’s welfare for a long time. For millennia these unicellular fungi were cultivated by man as a source of food and drink. However, it was only some 140 years ago that Pasteur demonstrated that live yeast is essential for beer and wine fermentations (Pasteur, 1866; 1876). Since then, these organisms were also found to have biotechnological potential in the production of vitamins (Roman, 1957), fine chemicals (Botes et al., 2005; Miao et al., 2011), enzymes (Steyn & Pretorius, 1990), biofuel (Lynd et al., 2002) and even single-cell proteins (Du Preez, 1990; Roman, 1957). However, yeasts are not only important for industrial biotechnology, but these fungi also have potential uses in agriculture. Some yeasts were found to be beneficial for mycorrhizal interactions during which crop performance is enhanced (Fracchia et al., 2003), others inhibit growth of post harvest pathogens on damaged fruit (Chand-Goyal & Spotts, 1997; Roberts, 1990), while a few species are currently being included in biological fertilisers that are claimed to enhance soil quality. However, yeasts may also be detrimental to mankind since a number of species may act as opportunistic pathogens of humans (Ikeda et al., 2002; Lamagni et al., 2001). This phenomenon is of great importance to an ever-increasing immunocompromised human population suffering from HIV/Aids. The extraordinary progress made in yeast biology may largely be ascribed to decades of studying the intrinsic characteristics of these organisms while growing in pure culture (Kurtzman & Fell, 1998; Lodder, 1971). Thus, during the last two hundred years yeast morphology, metabolism, as well as classical and molecular biology, was always at the frontiers of the biological sciences of the time. This review takes a closer look at the reasons for man’s fascination with this versatile group of organisms and focuses on one of the new frontiers in yeast biology, that of its ecology in natural environments. However, before we can explore this realm of science, we first need to obtain a better understanding of the general characteristics of these microscopic eukaryotes that have captured the imagination of so many biologists over the decades

Yeast infection in a beached southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) neonate

The original publication is available at http://www.jwildlifedis.org/A female southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) neonate was found stranded on the Western Cape coast of southern Africa. Skin samples were taken the same day from three different locations on the animal’s body and stored at 220 C. Isolation through repetitive culture of these skin sections yielded a single yeast species, Candida zeylanoides. Total genomic DNA also was isolated directly from skin samples. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region of the fungal ribosomal gene cluster revealed the presence of Filobasidiella neoformans var. neoformans, the teleomorphic state of Cryptococcus neoformans. Fungal infections in cetaceans seem to be limited when compared to infections caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites. However, Candida species appear to be the most common type of fungal infection associated with cetaceans. To our knowledge this is the first report of a C. zeylanoides infection in a mysticete, as well as the first report of a dual infection involving two opportunistic pathogenic yeast species in a cetacean.Publishers' versio

Fungi associated with the skin of a southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) from South Africa

CITATION: Reeb, D. et al. 2010, Fungi associated with the skin of a southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) from South Africa, Mycology, 1(3), 155-162, doi:10.1080/21501203.2010.492531.The original publication is available at http://www.tandfonline.com/Cutaneous fungi are known to affect parts of the outermost skin layers of mammals, including the epidermis, stratum spinosum and stratum corneum, as well as mucocutaneous membranes, genitalia or external ears. Relatively little is known about fungal infections of Mysticete cetaceans and studies are needed to determine the fungal diversity associated with these marine mammals. This case report was aimed at identifying the fungi associated with the skin of a diseased neonatal southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) found stranded in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Initial physical examination on site revealed hyperplasia of the follicular and epidermal epithelium. Preliminary examination of skin biopsies using scanning electron microscopy indicated that the skin was colonized by fungal hyphae. Isolation methods yielded a number of fungal isolates, which were identified using standard morphology and rDNA sequence data. These analyses confirmed colonization of the cutaneous layers by species belonging to the genera Fusarium, Chaetomium and Penicillium. Moreover, all isolates were capable of degrading keratin, indicating that skin may act as a natural substrate for these fungi. This study is the first report of the association of these fungi with southern right whale skin.Post-prin