African Journal of
Microbiology Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Microbiol. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0808
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJMR
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 5233

Full Length Research Paper

Identification of Basidiobolus species from the common house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus) and their association with isolates from human basidiobolomycosis

Martin R. P. Joseph
  • Martin R. P. Joseph
  • Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
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Ali Al Bshabshe
  • Ali Al Bshabshe
  • Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
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Ahmed M. Al-Hakami
  • Ahmed M. Al-Hakami
  • Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
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Mohammed M. Assiry
  • Mohammed M. Assiry
  • The Microbiology Laboratory, Aseer Central Hospital, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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Anjali Mathew
  • Anjali Mathew
  • Primary Health Center, Thachampara, Palakkad District, Kerala, India.
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Mohamed E. Hamid
  • Mohamed E. Hamid
  • Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
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  •  Received: 18 January 2021
  •  Accepted: 11 March 2022
  •  Published: 31 May 2022

Abstract

The genus Basidiobolus contains large groups of terrestrial fungi including the etiological agents of human gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis (GIB). This study aimed to identify Basidiobolus species from the common house gecko and to compare them with human GIB isolates. Gecko and human GIB samples were collected from Muhayil Aseer area, south Saudi Arabia (2017-2019). Isolation of fungi from the gut contents of geckos was performed using Sabouraud dextrose agar incubated aerobically at 30°C for five days. Suspected Basidiobolus species were tentatively identified using routine bench tests and phenotypes were authenticated by phylogenetic analysis of the large subunit ribosomal RNA gene. Isolates (n = 10) were found to have zygomycete-like phenotypic characteristics. In the 28S ribosomal RNA gene phylogenetic tree, the strains assembled in the subclade encompass Basidiobolus spp. along with previously reported isolates from human’ GIB. The strains had a close resemblance with Basidiobolus haptosporus (99.97%) as well as with B. haptosporus var. minor (99.97%). One isolate (L3) falls within the subclade containing B. haptosporus strain NRRL28635. The recovery of similar isolates from both humans and gecko lizards in one geographic region is an important development toward knowing risk factors for GIB.

 

Key words: Zygomycetes, Entomophthoromycota, Basidiobolus, lizards.

Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.

This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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