ABasidiobolussp. and its association with reptiles and amphibians in Southern Florida

Pediatric gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis

“…12 B. ranarum is sometimes present as a commensal in the intestinal tracts of frogs, toads, turtles, chameleons, horses and dogs. 13,14 The first recognized human case of infection caused by B. ranarum was one of subcutaneous mycosis reported in 1956 in Indonesia, 15 and other cases subsequently occurred in India, 16 Africa 17 and South America. 6 In 1978 the first cultureproved case of invasive basidiobolomycosis of the maxillary sinus and the palate was reported in the United States.…”

Zygomycetes in Human Disease

“…The human pathogens in this order include Basidiobolus and Conidiobolus species. Basidiobolus ranarum was described from animal and environmental sources as early as 1886 (87,97,128,138,338,343,460). It was not until 1956, however, that the first human case was described in a patient from Indonesia (218).…”

“…Basidiobolus species have been identified as saprobes and as parasites, living off of decaying vegetation, insects, woodlice, and feces of amphibians, reptiles, and other animals from which they have been isolated (87,97,338,521). Basidiobolus is endemic in Uganda and certain other areas of Africa, India, and other parts of Asia but is found worldwide even in areas where the disease has not surfaced (442).…”

Mucormycosis and Entomophthoramycosis (Zygomycosis)

“…Basidiobolus ranarum is found in decaying vegetation, soil, and the gastrointestinal tracts of reptiles, fish, amphibians and bats [159]. Similarly, C. coronatus is found in soil, decaying vegetation, insects, and in the gastrointestinal contents of lizards and toads [2,160,161].…”