Molecular Detection of Histoplasma capsulatum in Antarctica

Abstract

We detected Histoplasma capsulatum in soil and penguin excreta in the Antarctic Peninsula by sequencing after performing species-specific PCR, confirming previous observations that this pathogen occurs more broadly than suspected. This finding highlights the need for surveillance of emerging agents of systemic mycoses and their transmission among regions, animals, and humans in Antarctica.

Keywords: Antarctic regions; Antarctica; Histoplasma; fungi; histoplasmosis.

Figure 1

Sampling locations for study of Histoplasma capsulatum in Antarctica. A) Location of the Antarctic Peninsula in the Antarctica continent; B) King George Island; C) Potter Peninsula and the Antarctic Specially Protected Area ASPA N°132. Source: SCAR Antarctic Digital Database (https://www.scar.org/resources/antarctic-digital-database).

Figure 2

Phylogenetic tree based on the 100-kDa–like protein partial gene sequences of Histoplasma capsulatum from Antarctica. The evolutionary history was inferred by using the maximum-likelihood method in in MEGA X software (https://www.megasoftware.net). This analysis involved 46 sequences: 5 from Antarctica samples and 41 representing geographic lineages of H. capsulatum in addition to the closest non-Histoplasma sequences (Blastomyces spp.) downloaded from GenBank (accession numbers shown). The bootstrap percentage of trees in which the associated taxa clustered together is shown next to the branches. Scale bar indicates the number of substitutions per site.