Isolation of Cryptococcus gattii VGIII from feline nasal injury

Abstract

Hereby we communicate the first autochthon isolation of Cryptococcus gattii VGIII in Chile, which was obtained from a nasal injury in a domestic cat in the Valparaíso region in Chile. The strain was identified using morphophysiological tests, MALDI-TOF, and URA5 gene PCR-RFLP analysis.

Expansion of the Emerging Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus bacillisporus Into America: Linking Phylogenetic Origin, Geographical Spread and Population Under Exposure Risk

“…The first autochthonous C. bacillisporus isolate (VGIII) was recently identified in Chile from a nasal injury in a domestic cat ( Vieille et al, 2018 ). Mucocutaneous cryptococcosis was suspected in the animal, so nasal samples were taken to perform mycological studies.…”

“…Outside the United States, infections were reported in Latin America from Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Venezuela, and Guatemala ( Byrnes et al, 2011 ; Walraven et al, 2011 ; Lockhart et al, 2013 ; Lizarazo et al, 2014 ; Singer et al, 2014 ; Springer et al, 2014 ; González et al, 2016 ; Vélez and Escandón, 2017 ; Berejnoi et al, 2019 ). However, a recent veterinary isolation in a domestic animal was reported for the first time in central Chile, in the locality of Limache, 15 kilometers south of the city of Valparaíso (30°59′S, 71°17′W), extending its southern geographical limit to a geographical area where it has never been recorded before (non-endemic species) ( Vieille et al, 2018 ). This finding has generated concern in Chilean public health institutions and among researchers, mainly because this is the first time that a C. bacillisporus has been recorded in another American temperate zone.…”

Sensibilidad in vitro de cepas chilenas de Cryptococcus neoformans de origen clínico

“…Cryptococcus neoformans está constituido por los serotipos A (grubii) y D (neoformans), además de existir un hibrido AD. Cryptococcus gatti posee los serotipos B y C 5 . Estas especies tienen similares características morfológicas en medios no selectivos.…”

“…La identificación molecular ha permitido clasificar a C. neoformans y C. gattii en ocho tipos, siendo C. neoformans var. grubii clasificado en los tipos moleculares VNI y VNII, la variedad neoformans en VNIII y VNIV y C. gattii como VGI, VGII, VGIII y VGIV 4,5 .…”

“…Crypyococcus neoformans se aísla, con frecuencia, desde suelos contaminados con deposiciones de palomas y de otras aves en las distintas regiones del mundo 5,6 , mientras que C. gattii se le ha asociado al árbol eucalipto en regiones tropicales y subtropicales del mundo; sin embargo, el brote en la isla de Vancouver demostró una asociación con otros árboles, incluyendo abetos y robles, además de un rango geográfico expandido de este agente 5,6 .…”