Equine Histoplasmosis in Ethiopia: Phylogenetic Analysis by Sequencing of the Internal Transcribed Spacer Region of rRNA Genes

Abstract

Equine histoplasmosis commonly known as epizootic lymphangitis (EL) is a neglected granulomatous disease of equine that is endemic to Ethiopia. It is caused by Histoplasma capsulatum variety farciminosum, a dimorphic fungus that is closely related to H. capsulatum variety capsulatum. The objective of this study was to undertake a phylogenetic analysis of H. capsulatum isolated from EL cases of horses in central Ethiopia and evaluate their relationship with H. capsulatum isolates in other countries and/or clades using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rRNA genes. Clinical and mycological examinations, DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Sanger sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis were used for undertaking this study. Additionally, sequence data of Histoplasma isolates were retrieved from GenBank and included for a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis. A total of 390 horses were screened for EL and 97 were positive clinically while H. capsulatum was isolated from 60 horses and further confirmed with PCR, of which 54 were sequenced. BLAST analysis of these 54 isolates identified 29 H. capsulatum isolates and 14 isolates from other fungal genera while the remaining 11 samples were deemed insufficient for further downstream analysis. The phylogenetic analysis identified five clades, namely, African, Eurasian, North American 1 and 2, and Latin African A and B. The Ethiopian isolates were closely aggregated with isolates of the Latin American A and Eurasian clades, whereas being distantly related to isolates from North American 1 and 2 clades as well as Latin American B clade. This study highlights the possible origins and transmission routes of Histoplasmosis in Ethiopia.

Design of a Multi-Epitope Vaccine against Histoplasma capsulatum through Immunoinformatics Approaches

“…The disseminated disease affects several organs, such as the liver, spleen, gastrointestinal tract, bone and bone marrow, integument, and eyes [61]. Equine histoplasmosis, commonly known as epizootic lymphangitis (EL), is a neglected granulomatous disease in these animals and affects African countries like Ethiopia, but there are reports from India, Iran, Pakistan, and Japan [62,63]. Animals often show thickening of lymphatic vessels and nodes, leading to suppurative and ulcerative dermatitis and lymphangitis, affecting animal welfare and the livelihood of cart-owning families.…”

Study on the Dynamics of Microflora during Natural Fermentation of Different Blueberry Wines

“…From Table 4, it can be seen that, of the three groups of bacteria involved in the fermentation process of blueberry wine such as H. uvarum, S. cerevisiae, A. pullulans, M. elongata, etc., Saccharomyces cerevisiae was the most commonly used organism species in fermentation and dominated in the pre-fermentation stage in this experiment. The main product of wild-type S. cerevisiae is ethanol, and traditional S. cerevisiae strains have good fermentation performance, are well tolerated under anaerobic conditions, and can ferment sugars to produce high ethanol yields and production rates [20]. S. cerevisiae has a short growth cycle and an efficient sugar conversion capacity; competes for limited nutrient ca- From Table 4, it can be seen that, of the three groups of bacteria involved in the fermentation process of blueberry wine such as H. uvarum, S. cerevisiae, A. pullulans, M. elongata, etc., Saccharomyces cerevisiae was the most commonly used organism species in fermentation and dominated in the pre-fermentation stage in this experiment.…”

“…S. cerevisiae has a short growth cycle and an efficient sugar conversion capacity; competes for limited nutrient ca- From Table 4, it can be seen that, of the three groups of bacteria involved in the fermentation process of blueberry wine such as H. uvarum, S. cerevisiae, A. pullulans, M. elongata, etc., Saccharomyces cerevisiae was the most commonly used organism species in fermentation and dominated in the pre-fermentation stage in this experiment. The main product of wild-type S. cerevisiae is ethanol, and traditional S. cerevisiae strains have good fermentation performance, are well tolerated under anaerobic conditions, and can ferment sugars to produce high ethanol yields and production rates [20]. S. cerevisiae has a short growth cycle and an efficient sugar conversion capacity; competes for limited nutrient capacity; is a dominant strain in fermentation; is rich in nutrients such as proteins, amino acids, vitamins, and bioactive substances; and promotes the production of volatile aroma components such as esters, alcohols, terpenoids, and volatile thiol substances using its metabolic activities [21,22].…”