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The past few decades have witnessed an overwhelming increase in the incidence of fungal infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Consequently, zoonotic diseases, especially through rodents constitute a prominent group among the emerging diseases. Rodents are commensal to man and related health risks are common. Water rats (Rattus norvegicus) are typical to Vembanadu-Kol wetland agroecosystems, where they can act as a good carrier nexus for pathogens. The present study evaluates the carrier status of water rats with respect to fungal pathogens. A total of fifty two fungi covering eighteen families were isolated. Among the isolates, eight were dermaptophytes and Chrysosporium sp. (89.18%) was the frequent isolate. The source-wise analyses showed an increased isolation from ventral hair (67 isolates).Water rats of Vembanadu-Kol wetland agroecosystem are potent carrier of dermaptophytes and other opportunistic fungi, and strong carrier paths are existing too.

Traditional curatives based on herbal medicinal rationales are time tested and widely accepted across various cultural and socioeconomic strata all around the world. The emergence of drug resistant germs makes the circumstances more assailable for emerging pathogens, especially fungi. Thus an attempt to assess the spectrum of antifungal activity among selected Verbenaceae members (P. serratifolia, L. nodiflora, V. trifolia, V. negundo var. negundo, V. negundo var. pubescens, V. altissima, V. leucoxylon, V. pinnata, S. jamaicensis, C. inermis and C. serratum) was conducted against a panel of 8 fungi (Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, Penicillium sp., Verticillium sp., Curvularia sp., Mucor sp. and Fusarium sp.). All of the tested plants were inhibitory to many of the tested fungi and both of the extracts (petroleum ether and methanolic) showed appreciable antifungal effects, though the phytochemical composition was dissimilar.