Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Mucormycosis and Other Fungal Agents in Cattle

Abstract

Mucormycosis is a type of opportunistic fungal infection caused by the Mucorales order of Zygomycetes. The study's goal was to characterize Lichtheimia and other fungal agents in Tekirdag province of Turkiye by morphological and molecular methods. Head hair and skin scrapings of 13 cattle with mucormycosis lesions inoculated onto Rose Bengal Agar, Potato Dextrose, and Malt Extract Agar. After the incubation at 25 degrees C and 27 degrees C, pure colonies were evaluated morphologically and microscopically. For molecular identification, DNA isolation and PCR studies were followed by sequence analysis and the results were compared with the data in GeneBank using the nBLAST tool. ITS1/ ITS4 primers used in PCR study. Fungal species were identified with data verified after morphological and molecular identification. The sequence analyses revealed that 12 samples had L. ramosa HBF570, 7 samples contained A. niger HBF572 and P. crustosum HBF571, 2 samples contained A. chevalieri HBF573 and A. flavus HBF576, and one sample contained A. pseudoglaucus HBF577 and Aspergillus sp. HBF570. The study's causative agents emerged were environmental fungus species. In conclusion, because of the fungal diversity in the environment, hygiene investigations must be conducted and implemented for the protection of mucormycosis.