Mapping <i>Histoplasma</i> spp. in bats and cave ecosystems: evidence from midwestern Brazil.

ABSTRACT: Caves serve as natural reservoirs for diverse microbial species due to their unique biotic and abiotic conditions. Histoplasma spp. is frequently associated with guano-enriched soil, low luminosity, and high humidity, particularly in Latin America, a region highly endemic for histoplasmosis. Despite the continent's diverse biomes, local environmental and host distributions of Histoplasma remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a Histoplasma-specific quantitative PCR assay targeting the hc100 gene on guano samples from seven bat-inhabited caves and tissue samples from 74 bats of nine species in the Federal District of Brazil and surrounding regions. We detected Histoplasma DNA in 16 of 80 soil samples (20%) and in 33 bats repr

SUBMITTER: Bernardes JPRA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12442369 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature