Molecular detection of airborne Coccidioides in Tucson, Arizona
Environmental surveillance of the soil-dwelling fungus Coccidioides is essential for the prevention of Valley fever, a disease primarily caused by inhalation of the arthroconidia. Methods for collecting and detectingCoccidioides in soil samples are currently in use by several laboratories; however, a method utilizing current air sampling technologies has not been formally demonstrated for the capture of airborne arthroconidia. In this study, we collected air/dust samples at two sites (Site A and Site B) in the endemic region of Tucson, Arizona, and tested a variety of air samplers and membrane matrices. We then employed a single-tube nested qPCR assay for molecular detection. At both sites, numerous soil samples (n = 10 at Site A and n = 24 at Site B) were collected and Coccidioides was detected in two samples (20%) at Site A and in eight samples (33%) at Site B. Of the 25 air/dust samples collected at both sites using five different air sampling methods, we detected Coccidioides in three samples from site B. All three samples were collected using a high-volume sampler with glass-fiber filters. In this report, we describe these methods and propose the use of these air sampling and molecular detection strategies for environmental surveillance of Coccidioides.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2016 |
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Title | Molecular detection of airborne Coccidioides in Tucson, Arizona |
DOI | 10.1093/mmy/myw022 |
Authors | Nancy A. Chow, Dale W. Griffin, Bridget M. Barker, Vladimir N. Loparev, Anastasia P. Litvintseva |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | Medical Mycology |
Index ID | 70169890 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center; Toxic Substances Hydrology Program |