Paracoccidioides brasiliensis habitat: far beyond armadillo burrows?

Area of Science:

• Environmental microbiology
• Medical mycology
• Infectious disease epidemiology

Background:

• Isolation of Paracoccidioides spp. from environmental samples is challenging.
• Recent outbreaks of acute paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) have occurred in urban settings, linked to environmental changes.
• The environmental niche of Paracoccidioides spp. remains largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the environmental presence of Paracoccidioides spp. in a disturbed area following a highway construction.
• To explore the association between anthropogenic environmental changes and PCM outbreaks.

Main Methods:

• Environmental DNA detection using molecular techniques.
• Soil sampling in a highway construction area in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where a PCM outbreak occurred.

Main Results:

• Specific DNA sequences of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis were successfully detected in shallow soil samples.
• Detection occurred in the vicinity of the recently constructed highway.

Conclusions:

• The findings reinforce the association between highway construction and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis presence.
• Anthropogenic disturbances, such as road construction, may contribute to the emergence of PCM outbreaks in new areas.