Keratinolytic fungi in Egyptian soils

Abstract

The frequency of occurrence of keratinolytic fungi in seventy soil samples collected from different sites in Upper Egypt and in the coastal area of the Mediterranean and baited with human and animal hair and pigeon feathers was determined. Twenty-one species in addition to an unidentified species, which belong to sixteen genera were collected. Chrysosporium indicum, B. tropicum, C. keratinophilum and Microsporum gypseum were the most frequent fungal species recovered from baited soils. The eight soil samples collected from the salt marshes of the coastal Mediterranean area were completely free from any keratinolytic fungi, whereas the sixty-two soil samples collected from cultivated soils contributed a species ranging from one to four species.

Keratinophilic Fungi and Dermatophytes in Lucknow Soils with Their Global Distribution:* Keratinophile Pilze und Dermatophyten im Erdboden von Lucknow und ihr weltweites Vorkommen

“…Compared to C. indicum, C. tropicum Carmichael has a wider global distribution (1)(2)(3)(4)10,14,18,20,30,33). The two along with M. gypseum appeared to be good keratinophiliccompetiters as was indicated by their growth on all the substrates in primary soil cultures.…”

“…Amongst the Chrysosporium species, C. keratinophilum (Frey) Carmichael was the second commonest. It was first reported in soils ofAustralia&NewGuinea (16) andisnow known to occur in many parts ofEurope, Asia, America, Africaand Easter Island (1,2,8,11,15,18,23,32,34).…”

“…Regarding dermatophytes, we encountered two imperfect forms, M. gypseum and M. nanum. The former is a geophilic dermatophyte, universal in soils and has been encountered in one or more countries of each continent (1,4,6,8,14,22,(25)(26)(27)30,32,34).…”

Keratinophilic fungi inhabiting floor dusts of student houses at the South Valley University in Egypt

“…were also found earlier in the New Valley, Western desert, Egypt, but again at different incidences from those reported here (Abdel-Hafez et al 2000). These fungi have been isolated, at varying frequencies, from soils collected from the Delta area and Upper Egypt (Abdel-Fattah et al 1982;Abdel-Mallek et al 1989;Abdel-Hafez et al 1989;Youssef et al 1989;Karam El-Din et al 1990;Maghraby 1994;Gherbawy 1999;Abdel-Raouf 2000;Abdel-Hafez et al 2000).…”

Occurrence of Keratinophilic Fungi in Animals of the Zoological Park of Rome: Das Vorkommen keratinophiler Pilze bei Tieren aus dem Tiergarten von Rom

“…Absence of skin lesions in them is not necessarily proof of absence of a dermatophytic infeo tion as there may be numerous healthy carriers (6). (4,8,13,15,17), locations highly frequented by animals and/or man contain a higher population of keratinophilic hngi than remote or desert areas (1,8,30). previous studies described keratinophilic hngi observed in areas frequented only or chiefly by man (5,7,9,11,20), by man and animals (15,16,19), by only animals (18,26,31).…”