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. 2023 Dec 3;12(12):1695.
doi: 10.3390/antibiotics12121695.

Prevalence of Azole-Resistant Aspergillus Section Fumigati Strains Isolated from Romanian Vineyard Soil Samples

Horațiu Alexandru Colosi  1 , Alina Mihaela Baciu  2 , Carmen Costache  2 , Razvan Vlad Opris  2 , Radu Anghel Popp  3 , Marcela Sabou  4   5 , Ioana Alina Colosi  1
Affiliations

Prevalence of Azole-Resistant Aspergillus Section Fumigati Strains Isolated from Romanian Vineyard Soil Samples

Horațiu Alexandru Colosi et al. Antibiotics (Basel). .

Abstract

The relationship between fungal species and their resistance patterns in vineyard soils has important implications for agriculture and medicine. This study explored the prevalence of Aspergillus section Fumigati species and their resistance to azole compounds in Romanian vineyard soils.

Methods: A total of 265 soil samples from various Romanian vineyards were screened for fungi resistant to azoles.

Results: Aspergillus section Fumigati isolates exhibited significant resistance to itraconazole and voriconazole, but no azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus strains were detected. Six percent of the samples were positive for Aspergillus section Fumigati strains, all of which were azole-resistant. The strains were mainly Aspergillus udagawae (93.75%) and Aspergillus lentulus (6.25%). The predominant azole-resistant Aspergillus species were Aspergillus section Nigri strains, which were found in 75 soil samples.

Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of understanding fungal resistance in vineyard soils for both the agricultural and clinical sectors. The presence of resistant strains may affect vine health and wine production while also constituting a challenge in the selection of effective treatments against severe and potentially fatal fungal infections in humans, stressing the importance of species-specific antifungal resistance knowledge.

Keywords: Aspergillus section Fumigati; azole resistance; cryptic Aspergillus; environmental samples; non-wild-type Aspergillus udagawae.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Graphical representation of the wine regions from which soil samples were collected. The red dots represent the collection locations within Romania.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Graphical representation of the soil sampling system on a 10-hectare vineyard, following the grapevine row. The red dots represent the sampling locations.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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