The First Isolation of Cryptococcus Neoformans from Eucalyptus Trees in South Aegean and Mediterranean Regions of Anatolia in Turkey Despite Taurus Mountains Alkalinity

Overview

Journal Mycopathologia

Specialties Microbiology
Pharmacology

Date 2004 Oct 19

PMID 15487319

Citations 2

Authors

Cagri Ergin

Macit Ilkit

Suleyha Hilmioglu

Ilknur Kaleli

A Gani Gulbaba

Mustafa Demirci

Selcuk Kaya

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Eucalyptus trees are widespread in subtropical parts of Turkey that have alkaline environments due to the soil structure of Taurus Mountains. In this study, the existence of Cryptococcus neoformans in eucalyptus trees in the South Aegean and Mediterranean Regions of Anatolia, Turkey, was screened between March 1998 and September 2002. Only one strain of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii (Serotype A) was isolated from 1175 eucalyptus samples including debris and flowers in culture by Guizotia abyssinica agar. The environmental niche of the isolate was Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn in the Gokova Region, in the western part of the Taurus Mountains. In this study, the existence of Cryptococcus neoformans was shown in the eucalyptus flora of Turkey despite the alkaline soil condition.

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