Jet-Setting Koalas Spread <named-content content-type="genus-species">Cryptococcus gattii</named-content> VGII in Australia

ABSTRACT Cryptococcus gattii molecular type VGII is one of the etiologic agents of cryptococcosis, a systemic mycosis affecting a wide range of host species. Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) exhibit a comparatively high prevalence of cryptococcosis (clinical and subclinical) and nasal colonization, p...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales:	Laura J. Schmertmann, Patrizia Danesi, Juan Monroy-Nieto, Jolene Bowers, David M. Engelthaler, Richard Malik, Wieland Meyer, Mark B. Krockenberger
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	American Society for Microbiology 2019
Materias:	cryptococcosis Cryptococcus koala molecular epidemiology veterinary microbiology Microbiology QR1-502
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/61c2a544214349bd9b2520d1c8f8cdde
Etiquetas:	Agregar Etiqueta Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!

id	oai:doaj.org-article:61c2a544214349bd9b2520d1c8f8cdde
record_format	dspace
spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:61c2a544214349bd9b2520d1c8f8cdde2021-11-15T15:22:20ZJet-Setting Koalas Spread <named-content content-type="genus-species">Cryptococcus gattii</named-content> VGII in Australia10.1128/mSphere.00216-192379-5042https://doaj.org/article/61c2a544214349bd9b2520d1c8f8cdde2019-06-01T00:00:00Zhttps://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mSphere.00216-19https://doaj.org/toc/2379-5042ABSTRACT Cryptococcus gattii molecular type VGII is one of the etiologic agents of cryptococcosis, a systemic mycosis affecting a wide range of host species. Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) exhibit a comparatively high prevalence of cryptococcosis (clinical and subclinical) and nasal colonization, particularly in captivity. In Australia, disease associated with C. gattii VGII is typically confined to Western Australia and the Northern Territory (with sporadic cases reported in eastern Australia), occupying an enigmatic ecologic niche. A cluster of cryptococcosis in captive koalas in eastern Australia (five confirmed cases, a further two suspected), caused predominantly by C. gattii VGII, was investigated by surveying for subclinical disease, culturing koala nasal swabs and environmental samples, and genotyping cryptococcal isolates. URA5 restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) provided supportive evidence that the transfer of koalas from Western Australia and subsequently between several facilities in Queensland spread VGII into uncontaminated environments and environments in which C. gattii VGI was endemic. MLST identified VGII isolates as predominantly sequence type 7, while WGS further confirmed a limited genomic diversity and revealed a basal relationship with isolates from Western Australia. We hypothesize that this represents a founder effect following the introduction of a koala from Western Australia. Our findings suggest a possible competitive advantage for C. gattii VGII over VGI in the context of this captive koala environment. The ability of koalas to seed C. gattii VGII into new environments has implications for the management of captive populations and movements of koalas between zoos. IMPORTANCE Cryptococcus gattii molecular type VGII is one of the causes of cryptococcosis, a severe fungal disease that is acquired from the environment and affects many host species (including humans and koalas). In Australia, disease caused by C. gattii VGII is largely confined to western and central northern parts of the country, with sporadic cases reported in eastern Australia. We investigated an unusual case cluster of cryptococcosis, caused predominantly by C. gattii VGII, in a group of captive koalas in eastern Australia. This research identified that the movements of koalas between wildlife parks, including an initial transfer of a koala from Western Australia, introduced and subsequently spread C. gattii VGII in this captive environment. The spread of this pathogen by koalas could also impact other species, and these findings are significant in the implications they have for the management of koala transfers and captive environments.Laura J. SchmertmannPatrizia DanesiJuan Monroy-NietoJolene BowersDavid M. EngelthalerRichard MalikWieland MeyerMark B. KrockenbergerAmerican Society for MicrobiologyarticlecryptococcosisCryptococcuskoalamolecular epidemiologyveterinary microbiologyMicrobiologyQR1-502ENmSphere, Vol 4, Iss 3 (2019)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	cryptococcosis Cryptococcus koala molecular epidemiology veterinary microbiology Microbiology QR1-502
spellingShingle	cryptococcosis Cryptococcus koala molecular epidemiology veterinary microbiology Microbiology QR1-502 Laura J. Schmertmann Patrizia Danesi Juan Monroy-Nieto Jolene Bowers David M. Engelthaler Richard Malik Wieland Meyer Mark B. Krockenberger Jet-Setting Koalas Spread <named-content content-type="genus-species">Cryptococcus gattii</named-content> VGII in Australia
description	ABSTRACT Cryptococcus gattii molecular type VGII is one of the etiologic agents of cryptococcosis, a systemic mycosis affecting a wide range of host species. Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) exhibit a comparatively high prevalence of cryptococcosis (clinical and subclinical) and nasal colonization, particularly in captivity. In Australia, disease associated with C. gattii VGII is typically confined to Western Australia and the Northern Territory (with sporadic cases reported in eastern Australia), occupying an enigmatic ecologic niche. A cluster of cryptococcosis in captive koalas in eastern Australia (five confirmed cases, a further two suspected), caused predominantly by C. gattii VGII, was investigated by surveying for subclinical disease, culturing koala nasal swabs and environmental samples, and genotyping cryptococcal isolates. URA5 restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) provided supportive evidence that the transfer of koalas from Western Australia and subsequently between several facilities in Queensland spread VGII into uncontaminated environments and environments in which C. gattii VGI was endemic. MLST identified VGII isolates as predominantly sequence type 7, while WGS further confirmed a limited genomic diversity and revealed a basal relationship with isolates from Western Australia. We hypothesize that this represents a founder effect following the introduction of a koala from Western Australia. Our findings suggest a possible competitive advantage for C. gattii VGII over VGI in the context of this captive koala environment. The ability of koalas to seed C. gattii VGII into new environments has implications for the management of captive populations and movements of koalas between zoos. IMPORTANCE Cryptococcus gattii molecular type VGII is one of the causes of cryptococcosis, a severe fungal disease that is acquired from the environment and affects many host species (including humans and koalas). In Australia, disease caused by C. gattii VGII is largely confined to western and central northern parts of the country, with sporadic cases reported in eastern Australia. We investigated an unusual case cluster of cryptococcosis, caused predominantly by C. gattii VGII, in a group of captive koalas in eastern Australia. This research identified that the movements of koalas between wildlife parks, including an initial transfer of a koala from Western Australia, introduced and subsequently spread C. gattii VGII in this captive environment. The spread of this pathogen by koalas could also impact other species, and these findings are significant in the implications they have for the management of koala transfers and captive environments.
format	article
author	Laura J. Schmertmann Patrizia Danesi Juan Monroy-Nieto Jolene Bowers David M. Engelthaler Richard Malik Wieland Meyer Mark B. Krockenberger
author_facet	Laura J. Schmertmann Patrizia Danesi Juan Monroy-Nieto Jolene Bowers David M. Engelthaler Richard Malik Wieland Meyer Mark B. Krockenberger
author_sort	Laura J. Schmertmann
title	Jet-Setting Koalas Spread <named-content content-type="genus-species">Cryptococcus gattii</named-content> VGII in Australia
title_short	Jet-Setting Koalas Spread <named-content content-type="genus-species">Cryptococcus gattii</named-content> VGII in Australia
title_full	Jet-Setting Koalas Spread <named-content content-type="genus-species">Cryptococcus gattii</named-content> VGII in Australia
title_fullStr	Jet-Setting Koalas Spread <named-content content-type="genus-species">Cryptococcus gattii</named-content> VGII in Australia
title_full_unstemmed	Jet-Setting Koalas Spread <named-content content-type="genus-species">Cryptococcus gattii</named-content> VGII in Australia
title_sort	jet-setting koalas spread <named-content content-type="genus-species">cryptococcus gattii</named-content> vgii in australia
publisher	American Society for Microbiology
publishDate	2019
url	https://doaj.org/article/61c2a544214349bd9b2520d1c8f8cdde
work_keys_str_mv	AT laurajschmertmann jetsettingkoalasspreadnamedcontentcontenttypegenusspeciescryptococcusgattiinamedcontentvgiiinaustralia AT patriziadanesi jetsettingkoalasspreadnamedcontentcontenttypegenusspeciescryptococcusgattiinamedcontentvgiiinaustralia AT juanmonroynieto jetsettingkoalasspreadnamedcontentcontenttypegenusspeciescryptococcusgattiinamedcontentvgiiinaustralia AT jolenebowers jetsettingkoalasspreadnamedcontentcontenttypegenusspeciescryptococcusgattiinamedcontentvgiiinaustralia AT davidmengelthaler jetsettingkoalasspreadnamedcontentcontenttypegenusspeciescryptococcusgattiinamedcontentvgiiinaustralia AT richardmalik jetsettingkoalasspreadnamedcontentcontenttypegenusspeciescryptococcusgattiinamedcontentvgiiinaustralia AT wielandmeyer jetsettingkoalasspreadnamedcontentcontenttypegenusspeciescryptococcusgattiinamedcontentvgiiinaustralia AT markbkrockenberger jetsettingkoalasspreadnamedcontentcontenttypegenusspeciescryptococcusgattiinamedcontentvgiiinaustralia
_version_	1718428010366894080

Jet-Setting Koalas Spread <named-content content-type="genus-species">Cryptococcus gattii</named-content> VGII in Australia

Ejemplares similares