Candida palmioleophila: A New Emerging Threat in Brazil?

Abstract

Human activity directly or indirectly causes climate change, promoting changes in the composition of the atmosphere. This change is beyond the variation of the natural climate. In this manner, climate change could create an environmental pressure which is enough to trigger new fungal diseases. In addition to climate alterations, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has also been associated with the emergence of fungal pathogens. Fungi showed that an inability to grow at high temperatures limits the capacity of fungi to infect mammals. However, fungi can develop thermotolerance, gradually adapting to rising temperatures due to climate change, and generating a greater number of disease-causing organisms. In the present study, we reported the detection and identification of Candida palmioleophila isolates recovered from raw sewage samples in Niteroi city, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, during a monitoring program for measuring SARS-CoV-2 presence and concentration. Using polyphasic taxonomy to identify the species and evaluating some virulence aspects of this species, such as biofilm formation and extracellular enzyme production, our data highlight this species as a possible emerging pathogen in Brazil, especially in the pandemic context.

Screening of Candida spp. in wastewater in Brazil during COVID-19 pandemic: workflow for monitoring fungal pathogens

“…Additionally, most of the wrongly identified strains showed a resistant antifungal profile, such as C. haemulonii, C. ciferri, and C. rugosa, reinforcing the importance of correct identification. It is important to mention that our group published a study [52] using C. palmioleophila isolates that showed a characteristic MIC indicating resistance to fluconazole, corroborating the findings of the authors that point out that resistance to some azole derivatives among species of the Saccharomycotina subphylum, in which Candida species are inserted, is associated with multifactorial circumstances, such as indiscriminate exposure to azoles, patient profiles, geographic location of the species and genetic particularities [53,54].…”

First Report of the Emerging Pathogen Kodamaea ohmeri in Honduras

“…Environmental and human-induced factors are greatly impacting the evolution, selection, and adaptation of previously harmless fungal species, which are now posing a growing threat to the health of humans and animals [ 32 ]. This is the case for Candida viswanathii , C. auris , C. blankii , C. palmioleophila , C. vulturna , C. massiliensis , Trichophyton indotineae , Pseudogymnoascus destructans , Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis , and Kodamaea ohmeri , all of which are environmental fungi that have been successfully adapted to animals or humans over time [ 12 , 18 , 31 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ].…”

“…This is not surprising, as this system can identify up to 50 different yeasts, including K. ohmeri . However, it has been observed that in this identification system, certain isolates of Candida palmioleophila can be mistakenly identified as K. ohmeri [ 33 ]. The BD Phoenix BD Phoenix TM yeast identification system, on the other hand, could not correctly identify any isolate.…”

First Report of the Emerging Pathogen<em> Kodamaea ohmeri </em>in Honduras

“…Environmental and human-induced factors are greatly impacting the evolution, selection, and adaptation of previously harmless fungal species, which are now posing a growing threat to the health of humans and animals [32]. This is the case for Candida viswanathii, C. auris, C. blankii, C. palmioleophila, C. vulturna, C. massiliensis, Trichophyton indotineae, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, and Kodamaea ohmeri, all of which are environmental fungi that have been successfully adapted to animals or humans over time [12,18,31,[33][34][35][36].…”