EC Microbiology

Fungi, which include moulds, yeasts and dimorphic fungi are eukaryotic, heterophilic and versatile group of living organisms, have the potential to cause infections in humans and animals [1]. There are around 5 million species of fungi that are widespread in the nature, of which about 600 are found to be associated with several clinical disorders of in humans and animals [2]. Fungi are isolated from a wide variety of sources, such as the soil, avian excreta, air, water, sewage, bat guano, vegetables, fruits, woods, grains etc. [1,3,4]. There are evidences to believe that humans and animals have an equal opportunity to acquire the zoopathogenic fungi from the immediate environment. Fungal infections, such as aspergillosis, blastomycosis, candidiasis, chromoblastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, cryptococcosis, fusariosis, geotrichosis, maduromycosis, phaeohyphomycosis, rhodotoruliosis, trichosporonosis, and zygomycosis cause morbidity and mortality among the susceptible hosts. These mycoses are reported to occur in both sexes, in all age groups, in all seasons, in rural and urban settings, in all seasons, and in developing as well as developed nations of the world [1,4,5]. Mycotic diseases, which can occur in sporadic and epidemic form, remain a hidden threat to the immunocompromised and immunocompetent persons throughout the world. A number of factors, such as diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, cancer, COVID-19, neutropenia, haematological malignancies, chronic kidney disease, besides organ transplantation, prolonged use of antibiotics, corticosteroids, cytotoxic drugs etc. are known to predispose the subjects to fungal infections by decreasing the body immune response [1,6,7].

1. Pal M. “Veterinary and Medical Mycology”. First Edition. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India (2007).
2. Pal M. “Emerging role of saprobic fungi in human and animal health”. Journal of Mycological Research3 (2019): 1-2.
3. Pal M. “Prevalence of Cryptococcus neoformans in excreta, wood and air of an aviary”. EC Microbiology1 (2017): 30-34.
4. Pal M. “Contribution of Prof. Dr. Mahendra Pal in Veterinary and Medical Mycology”. Open Access Journal of Mycology and Mycological Sciences 2 (2019): 000110.
5. Pal M. “Zoonoses”. Second Edition. Satyam Publishers, India (2007).
6. Pal M. “First report of the isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans from the dust of an air conditioner in Bharuch, Gujarat, India”. Journal of Advances in Microbiology Research2 (2020): 67-71.
7. Pal M., et al. “Candida auris-an emerging life-threatening fungal pathogen of global public health concern”. Journal of Bacteriology and Mycology: Open Access2 (2024): 40-43.
8. Pal M. “Isolation of Candida tropicalis from a case of lung empyema”. Current Science 57 (1987): 1135-1136.
9. Pal M. “Use of Pal’s sunflower seed medium for an early diagnosis cryptococcosis”. The Antiseptic5 (1997): 175.
10. Sasaki K., et al. “Isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans from pigeon excreta”. Journal of Japan Veterinary and Medical Association 52 (1999): 521-524.
11. Thunyaham S., et al. “Isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans from pigeon excreta in Nakhon Ratchasima College Nakhan Ratchasima Province”. Progress in Applied Science and Technology2 (2021): 6-9.