Molecular Detection of Histoplasma capsulatum in Antarctica

Abstract

We detected Histoplasma capsulatum in soil and penguin excreta in the Antarctic Peninsula by sequencing after performing species-specific PCR, confirming previous observations that this pathogen occurs more broadly than suspected. This finding highlights the need for surveillance of emerging agents of systemic mycoses and their transmission among regions, animals, and humans in Antarctica.

Keywords

• Histoplasma
• Antarctic regions
• fungi
• histoplasmosis
• Antarctica