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Elmassry MM, Ray N, Sorge S, Webster J, Merry K, Caserio A, Vecellio DJ, Kruczek C, Dowd S, Ardon-Dryer K, Vanos J, San Francisco MJ. Investigating the culturable atmospheric fungal and bacterial microbiome in West Texas: implication of dust storms and origins of the air parcels. FEMS MICROBES 2020; 1:xtaa009. [PMID: 37333960 PMCID: PMC10117434 DOI: 10.1093/femsmc/xtaa009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals often experience ailments such as allergies, asthma and respiratory tract infections throughout the year. Weather reports often include estimations of common allergens that can affect these individuals. To describe the local 'atmospheric microbiome' in Lubbock, Texas, USA, we examined the culturable fungal and bacterial microbiome present in the air on calm and dust storm days using internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-1 and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, respectively. While some types of airborne fungi were frequently present throughout the year, distinct differences were also observed between calm and dust storm days. We also observed the influence of the origin of air parcels and wind elevation of the air trajectory. The most abundant genera of fungi identified during the study period were Cryptococcus, Aureobasidium, Alternaria, Cladosporium and Filobasidium. This observation was not surprising considering the agricultural intensive environment of West Texas. Interestingly, Cladosporium, a common allergenic mold, was increased during days with dust storm events. The predominant bacterial genera observed were Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, Massilia and Exiguobacterium. The relative abundance of the psychrophiles, Psychrobacter and Exiguobacterium, was surprising, given the semi-aridity of West Texas. Coupling our observations with back trajectories of the wind (Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory models) demonstrated that dust storms, regional anthropogenic activity and origin of air parcels are important influences on the diversity and temporal presence of the atmospheric microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moamen M Elmassry
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Nandini Ray
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Sara Sorge
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Jennifer Webster
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Kyle Merry
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Angelica Caserio
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Daniel J Vecellio
- Department of Geography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Cassandra Kruczek
- Department of Medical Education, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Scot Dowd
- Molecular Research LP, Clovis Road, Shallowater, TX 79363, USA
| | - Karin Ardon-Dryer
- Department of Geosciences, Atmospheric Science Group, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Jennifer Vanos
- School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Michael J San Francisco
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
- Honors College, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79410, USA
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Kim JR, Michielsen S. Synthesis of Antifungal Agents from Xanthene and Thiazine Dyes and Analysis of Their Effects. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2016; 6:E243. [PMID: 28335371 PMCID: PMC5302722 DOI: 10.3390/nano6120243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Revised: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Indoor fungi growth is an increasing home health problem as our homes are more tightly sealed. One thing that limits durability of the antifungal agents is the scarcity of reactive sites on many surfaces to attach these agents. In order to increase graft yield of photosensitizers to the fabrics, poly(acrylic acid-co-styrene sulfonic acid-co-vinyl benzyl rose bengal or phloxine B) were polymerized and then grafted to electrospun fabrics. In an alternative process, azure A or toluidine blue O were grafted to poly(acrylic acid), which was subsequently grafted to nanofiber-based and microfiber-based fabrics. The fabrics grafted with photosensitizers induced antifungal effects on all seven types of fungi in the order of rose bengal > phloxine B > toluidine blue O > azure A, which follows the quantum yield production of singlet oxygen for these photoactive dyes. Their inhibition rates for inactivating fungal spores decreased in the order of P. cinnamomi, T. viride, A. niger, A. fumigatus, C. globosum, P. funiculosum, and M. grisea, which is associated with lipid composition in membrane and the morphology of fungal spores. The antifungal activity was also correlated with the surface area of fabric types which grafted the photosensitizer covalently on the surface as determined by the bound color strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joo Ran Kim
- Fiber Science & Apparel Design, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
| | - Stephen Michielsen
- Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science, North Carolina State University, 2401 Research Dr., Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
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Kim JR, Michielsen S. Photodynamic antifungal activities of nanostructured fabrics grafted with rose bengal and phloxine B againstAspergillus fumigatus. J Appl Polym Sci 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/app.42114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joo Ran Kim
- Fiber and Polymer Science; Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science, North Carolina State University; Raleigh North Carolina
| | - Stephen Michielsen
- Fiber and Polymer Science; Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science, North Carolina State University; Raleigh North Carolina
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Saad-Hussein A, Taha MM, Fadl NN, Awad AH, Mahdy-Abdallah H, Moubarz G, Aziz H, El-Shamy KA. Effects of airborne Aspergillus on serum aflatoxin B1 and liver enzymes in workers handling wheat flour. Hum Exp Toxicol 2015; 35:3-9. [PMID: 25697850 DOI: 10.1177/0960327115573596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present work aimed to investigate the relationship between occupational exposure to airborne molds, serum aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), and liver enzymes of workers handling wheat flour. METHODS The study included 90 bakers, 100 flour milling workers, and 100 controls with no exposure to flour dust. Workplace aspects such as temperature and relative humidity were measured. Airborne fungi were collected and identified. In all subjects included, the serum levels of AFB1, serum albumin (Alb), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured. RESULTS Air temperature and relative humidity were found to be higher in bakeries than in flour mill sections. Airborne Aspergillus species were isolated in dust particles <8 µm in size. The concentration of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger were higher in bakeries than in the flour mill sections. They were higher in the grinding section than in other mill sections. The serum AFB1-Alb adduct and ALP levels were significantly higher in bakers compared to milling workers (p < 0.0001, p = 0.05), respectively. The liver enzymes AST and ALT were significantly higher among milling workers and bakers than controls (p < 0.05, p < 0.0001), respectively. The duration of exposure was significantly correlated with serum AFB1 in bakers. Moreover, there was significant correlation between serum AFB1, each of ALT and AST levels in bakers. CONCLUSIONS chronic occupational exposure to high concentrations of Aspergillus in workplaces may cause elevations in serum levels of AFB1 and liver enzymes in workers exposed to flour dust. Hence, worker protection measures should be consistently adopted and enforced at the workplace.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Saad-Hussein
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
| | - M M Taha
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
| | - N N Fadl
- Department of Medical Physiology, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
| | - A-H Awad
- Department of Environmental and Health Research, The Custodian of the Two Holly Mosques Institute for Hajj and Umrah Research, Umm-Al Qura University, Saudi Arabia
| | - H Mahdy-Abdallah
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
| | - G Moubarz
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Arts-Khulais, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia
| | - H Aziz
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
| | - K A El-Shamy
- Department of Medical Physiology, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
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Mycoflora of Fungal Contamination in Wheat Storage (Silos) in Golestan Province, North of Iran. Jundishapur J Microbiol 2013. [DOI: 10.5812/jjm.6334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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Mucormycosis caused by unusual mucormycetes, non-Rhizopus, -Mucor, and -Lichtheimia species. Clin Microbiol Rev 2011; 24:411-45. [PMID: 21482731 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00056-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 269] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhizopus, Mucor, and Lichtheimia (formerly Absidia) species are the most common members of the order Mucorales that cause mucormycosis, accounting for 70 to 80% of all cases. In contrast, Cunninghamella, Apophysomyces, Saksenaea, Rhizomucor, Cokeromyces, Actinomucor, and Syncephalastrum species individually are responsible for fewer than 1 to 5% of reported cases of mucormycosis. In this review, we provide an overview of the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis of, treatment of, and prognosis for unusual Mucormycetes infections (non-Rhizopus, -Mucor, and -Lichtheimia species). The infections caused by these less frequent members of the order Mucorales frequently differ in their epidemiology, geographic distribution, and disease manifestations. Cunninghamella bertholletiae and Rhizomucor pusillus affect primarily immunocompromised hosts, mostly resulting from spore inhalation, causing pulmonary and disseminated infections with high mortality rates. R. pusillus infections are nosocomial or health care related in a large proportion of cases. While Apophysomyces elegans and Saksenaea vasiformis are occasionally responsible for infections in immunocompromised individuals, most cases are encountered in immunocompetent individuals as a result of trauma, leading to soft tissue infections with relatively low mortality rates. Increased knowledge of the epidemiology and clinical presentations of these unusual Mucormycetes infections may improve early diagnosis and treatment.
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Riba A, Bouras N, Mokrane S, Mathieu F, Lebrihi A, Sabaou N. Aspergillus section Flavi and aflatoxins in Algerian wheat and derived products. Food Chem Toxicol 2010; 48:2772-7. [PMID: 20627118 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2010.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2009] [Revised: 06/12/2010] [Accepted: 07/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Wheat and its derivatives are a very important staple food for North African populations. The aim of this study was to analyze populations of Aspergillus section Flavi from local wheat based on aflatoxins (AFs), cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) and sclerotia production, and also to evaluate AFs-contaminated wheat collected from two different climatic regions in Algeria. A total of 108 samples of wheat were collected during the following phases: pre-harvest, storage in silos and after processing. The results revealed that among the Aspergillus species isolated, those belonging to section Flavi were predominant. Of the 150 strains of Aspergillus section Flavi isolated, 144 were identified as Aspergillus flavus and 6 as Aspergillus tamarii. We showed that 72% and 10% of the A. flavus strains produced AFs and CPA, respectively. Among the 150 strains tested, 60 produced amounts of AFB1 ranging from 12.1 to 234.6 microg/g of CYA medium. Also, we showed that most strains produced large sclerotia. AFB1was detected by HPLC in 56.6% of the wheat samples and derived products (flour, semolina and bran) with contamination levels ranging from 0.13 to 37.42 microg/kg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amar Riba
- Laboratoire de Recherche sur les Produits Bioactifs et la Valorisation de la Biomasse, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Kouba, BP 92, 16050 Kouba, Alger, Algeria
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SREENIVASA M, DASS REGINASHARMILA, RAJ ACHARITH, JANARDHANA G. PCR METHOD FOR THE DETECTION OF GENUS FUSARIUM AND FUMONISIN-PRODUCING ISOLATES FROM FRESHLY HARVESTED SORGHUM GRAINS GROWN IN KARNATAKA, INDIA. J Food Saf 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-4565.2008.00117.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Bardana EJ. Indoor air quality and health does fungal contamination play a significant role? Immunol Allergy Clin North Am 2003; 23:291-309. [PMID: 12803364 DOI: 10.1016/s0889-8561(02)00081-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Fungal contamination in buildings can vary greatly, and their presence in a dwelling does not necessarily constitute exposure. Measurement of mold spores and fragments varies depending on the methodology and instruments used. Meaningful comparison of data is rarely possible. The presence of a specific immune response to a fungal antigen only connotes that exposure to one or more related species has occurred, but not that there is a symptomatic clinical state. The response of individuals to indoor bioaerosols is complex and depends on age, gender, state of health, genetic makeup, and degree and time of bioaerosol exposure. In general, mold contamination in buildings is associated with incursion of water or moisture, which should be remedied as efficiently as possible. When disease occurs, it more likely is related to transient annoyance or irritational reactions. Allergic symptoms may be related to mold proliferation in the home environment. Because molds are encountered both indoors and outdoors, it is difficult to determine where the sensitivity initially arose and if the response is solely provoked by either an indoor or outdoor source. As an indoor allergen, mold is considered to be an infrequent participant in the induction of allergic disease when compared with housedust mites, animal dander, and cockroach allergens. Infection in healthy individuals is rare and usually is caused by an outdoor source. Building-related disease caused by mycotoxicosis has not been proved in the medical literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emil J Bardana
- Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, OP34, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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Abstract
LEARNING OBJECTIVES Recent public concern about the danger of environmental fungi has focused attention on one particular mold, Stachybotrys. The purpose of this review is to examine and critique the published literature on Stachybotrys for objective scientific and clinical evidence of disease caused by the presence of this fungal organism in the environment. DATA SOURCES Data were obtained from all published research and reviews of Stachybotrys indexed in MEDLINE since 1966. STUDY SELECTION The publications used for this review were those that contained information about human health effects of this microorganism. The critique of these publications is the author's. RESULTS Stachybotrys is a minor component of the indoor mycoflora, found on certain building material surfaces in water-damaged buildings, but airborne spores are present in very low concentrations. Published reports fail to establish inhalation of Stachybotrys spores as a cause of human disease even in water-damaged buildings. A possible exception may be mycotoxin-caused pulmonary hemorrhage/hemosiderosis in infants, although scientific evidence to date is suggestive but not conclusive. Based on old reports ingestion of food prepared from Stachybotrys-contaminated grains may cause a toxic gastroenteropathy. No convincing cases of human allergic disease or infection from this mold have been published. CONCLUSIONS The current public concern for adverse health effects from inhalation of Stachybotrys spores in water-damaged buildings is not supported by published reports in the medical literature.
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Downs SH, Marks GB, Mitakakis TZ, Lëuppi JD, Car NG, Peat JK. Having lived on a farm and protection against allergic diseases in Australia. Clin Exp Allergy 2001; 31:570-5. [PMID: 11359424 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2222.2001.01070.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Farmers' children in northern Europe have a lower prevalence of atopy, hay fever and asthma than other children. Farms in Australia differ in scale and operation from those in Europe and the prevalence of allergic diseases in children is higher. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether having lived on a farm as a child in Australia is associated with a lower risk of allergic diseases. METHODS Cross-sectional study of children (n = 1500) aged 7-12 years from two rural towns: Wagga Wagga in a mixed farming region, and Moree in a crop farming region. Parents answered a questionnaire and children had a skin prick test for atopy. RESULTS Twenty percent of children had lived on a farm for at least 1 year. The effect of having lived on a farm differed between the towns (P < 0.001). It was associated with a lower risk of atopy in Wagga (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.32-0.72) but not in Moree (aOR 0.97, 95% CI 0.62-1.53). Children from Wagga were more likely to have lived on a livestock farm than children from Moree (26.1% vs. 9.1%, 95% CI for the difference 8.9-25.4). CONCLUSION Having lived on a farm in Australia can confer protection against atopy in children. Further studies are needed to identify possible protective mechanisms associated with farm animals or to establish whether the protective effect is explained by other related exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- S H Downs
- Institute of Respiratory Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
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