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Microsatellite typing of Aspergillus flavus from clinical and environmental avian isolates
Inès Hadrich1, Inès Drira1, Sourour Neji1
1Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Parasitaire et Fongique, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Rue Magida Boulila, 3029 Sfax, Tunisia.
Abstract:
Aspergillosis is one of the most common causes of death in captive birds. Aspergillus fumigatus accounts for approximately 95 % of aspergillosis cases and Aspergillus flavus is the second most frequent organism associated with avian infections. In the present study, the fungi were grown from avian clinical samples (post-mortem lung material) and environmental samples (eggs, food and litter). Microsatellite markers were used to type seven clinical avian isolates and 22 environmental isolates of A. flavus. A. flavus was the only species (28 % prevalence) detected in the avian clinical isolates, whereas this species ranked third (19 %) after members of the genera Penicillium (39 %) and Cladosporium (21 %) in the environmental samples. Upon microsatellite analysis, five to eight distinct alleles were detected for each marker. The marker with the highest discriminatory power had eight alleles and a 0.852 D value. The combination of all six markers yielded a 0.991 D value with 25 distinct genotypes. One clinical avian isolate (lung biopsy) and one environmental isolate (egg) shared the same genotype. Microsatellite typing of A. flavus grown from avian and environmental samples displayed an excellent discriminatory power and 100 % reproducibility. This study showed a clustering of clinical and environmental isolates, which were clearly separated. Based upon these results, aspergillosis in birds may be induced by a great diversity of isolates.
Insights
Aspergillosis in birds can stem from diverse Aspergillus flavus strains found in both clinical and environmental samples. Microsatellite typing reveals a high diversity of these fungal isolates, impacting avian health.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Mycology
- Avian Pathology
- Molecular Typing
Background:
- Aspergillosis is a leading cause of mortality in captive birds, frequently caused by Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus.
- Aspergillus flavus is a significant pathogen in avian infections, necessitating detailed strain analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic diversity of Aspergillus flavus isolates from avian clinical and environmental sources.
- To determine the relationship between clinical and environmental A. flavus strains using molecular typing.
Main Methods:
- Fungal isolates were obtained from avian post-mortem lung samples and environmental sources (eggs, food, litter).
- Microsatellite markers were employed to genotype seven clinical and 22 environmental A. flavus isolates.
- Analysis focused on allele diversity, discriminatory power of markers, and genotype reproducibility.
Main Results:
- Aspergillus flavus was identified in 28% of avian clinical samples, while ranking third in environmental samples (19%).
- Microsatellite analysis revealed high genetic diversity, with 25 distinct genotypes identified among the isolates.
- One clinical isolate and one environmental isolate shared an identical genotype, suggesting potential links.
Conclusions:
- Microsatellite typing provides excellent discriminatory power and reproducibility for A. flavus strain differentiation.
- The study indicates that avian aspergillosis can be caused by a wide array of A. flavus isolates with varying origins.
