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Is Histoplasma capsulatum a native inhabitant of Japan?
Author(s) -
Kikuchi Ken,
Sugita Takashi,
Makimura Koichi,
Urata Kensaku,
Someya Takashi,
Sasaki Takashi,
Kamei Katsuhiko,
Niimi Masakazu,
Hiramatsu Keiichi,
Uehara Yoshimasa
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2008.00052.x
Subject(s) - histoplasma capsulatum , guano , histoplasmosis , histoplasma , biology , cave , fungal pathogen , mycosis , spore , microbiology and biotechnology , pathogen , virology , immunology , ecology
Histoplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by inhaling spores of the fungal pathogen H. capsulatum and in Japan is considered an imported mycosis. However, some patients in Japan with histoplasmosis have no history of traveling overseas nor of risk of occupational exposure to Histoplasma . To investigate the possibility of native distribution of Histoplasma in Japan, 187 bat guano samples from 67 bat‐inhabited caves in 17 prefectures were collected. These were examined for H. capsulatum by culture and Histoplasma ‐specific PCR in three independent laboratories. No H. capsulatum was detected by either method, therefore H. capsulatum is unlikely to be present in bat guano in Japanese caves.