Molecular detection of Fonsecaea pedrosoi in Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Rhipicephalus microplus ticks from...

Area of Science:

• Mycology
• Infectious Diseases
• Vector Biology

Background:

• Chromoblastomycosis is a chronic fungal infection typically acquired through skin trauma.
• Fonsecaea pedrosoi is the primary etiological agent of chromoblastomycosis.
• The traditional understanding of transmission involves environmental inoculation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the presence and abundance of Fonsecaea pedrosoi in tick populations from chromoblastomycosis-endemic regions of Venezuela.
• To explore potential ecological associations between ticks and F. pedrosoi.
• To evaluate the implications of these findings for chromoblastomycosis epidemiology.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 50 Rhipicephalus sanguineus/R. microplus ticks using Oxford Nanopore amplicon sequencing.
• Identification and quantification of fungal communities within tick microbiomes.
• Geographical sampling from Lara and Portuguesa states in Venezuela.

Main Results:

• Fonsecaea pedrosoi was detected as a dominant component of the eukaryotic microbiome in ticks.
• F. pedrosoi constituted 78% and 75% of fungal communities in ticks from Lara and Portuguesa, respectively.
• This high abundance was observed across geographically distinct endemic areas.

Conclusions:

• The study provides the first molecular evidence of F. pedrosoi within tick microbiomes.
• Ticks may represent a previously unrecognized ecological association with the chromoblastomycosis pathogen.
• Further research is warranted to determine the potential role of ticks as carriers, vectors, or reservoirs, potentially reshaping our understanding of chromoblastomycosis epidemiology.