The naked-tailed armadilloCabassous centralis(Miller 1899): a new host toParacoccidioides brasiliensis. Molecular identification of the isolate

Abstract

The natural habitat of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis remains undefined but the repeated demonstration of infection by this fungus in the nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus has opened interesting research avenues. We report here the isolation of this fungus from the spleen of a naked-tailed armadillo Cabassous centralis (Miller 1899) captured in a coffee farm localized in the Colombian endemic area for paracoccidioidomycosis. This particular isolate was identified by its dimorphism and also by comparison of the PbGP43 gene and ribosomal internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) with recognized P brasiliensis strains. This finding extends the range of naturally acquired infections in mammals of the family Dasypodidae and confirms the existence of this human pathogen in areas where human paracoccidioidomycosis is known to occur.

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis: phylogenetic and ecological aspects

“…In this animal species and also in the naked-tailed armadillo, Cabassous centralis [59], P. brasiliensis can be isolated regularly. Histopathological analyses in the animal tissues have revealed rare granulomas containing yeast cells of the pathogen [54,57].…”

Genus Paracoccidioides: Species Recognition and Biogeographic Aspects

“…This pathogen has been repeatedly recovered from human clinical samples and tissues of some armadillo species, such as the nine-banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus [9] and occasionally from Cabassus centralis [10]. It was also detected in and isolated from dogs [11], [12].…”

Importance of xenarthrans in the eco-epidemiology of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

“…The high frequency of isolation or molecular detection of the fungus in armadillos has created new opportunities for the study of the role of xenarthrans in the ecology of this microorganism. The first isolation of P. brasiliensis was observed in armadillos from the Amazon region [5], a finding that has been confirmed by several other research groups in Brazil [6-10] and Colombia [11,12]. …”

“…In a previous study of road-killed wild animals, it was observed that besides the nine-banded armadillo ( D. novemcinctus ), the seven-banded armadillo ( Dasypus septemcinctus ) also might be infected by the fungus [17]. In a Colombian study, Restrepo's group has isolated P. brasiliensis from the naked-tailed armadillo Cabassous centralis [12]. As already suggested, P. brasiliensis infection in wild animals, from PCM endemic areas, may be more common than initially postulated, especially in armadillos and probably other xenarthrans.…”