Molecular Detection of Histoplasma in Bat-Inhabited Tunnels of Camino de Hierro Tourist Route, Spain

Abstract

We detected Histoplasma capsulatum in 2 bat-inhabited tunnels of a tourist route in northern Spain. This finding confirms that the geographic distribution of this fungal pathogen is wider than previously thought. Our results highlight the need for surveillance and assessment of the potential infection risk for workers and visitors.

Keywords: Camino de Hierro; Histoplasma; Spain; bats; environmental detection; fungal pathogen; fungi; guano; histoplasmosis; systemic mycoses; thermally dimorphic fungi; zoonoses; zoonotic risk.

Figure

Bayesian tree based on 210-bp partial Hcp100 gene sequences obtained from 42 guano samples collected in the tunnels of the Camino de Hierro tourist route in study of molecular detection of Histoplasma, Spain. Representatives of the genus Blastomyces were used as outgroup. GenBank reference isolates are labeled by species name, specimen code, accession number, host or source (if known), and 3-letter country code. Bold text indicates sequences obtained in this study, labeled by taxon name, isolate code, accession number, and source bat species. Numbers above the branches correspond to Bayesian posterior probability and numbers below the branches to maximum-likelihood bootstrap values; values are shown if posterior probability is >0.90 and bootstrap value is >75%. Scale bar indicates average number of substitutions per site.