Antagonistic effects of native strains of the soil fungus Paecilomyces against gastrointestinal nematode and protozoan parasites of pigs in Panama

• Published in: Journal of parasitic diseases Vol. 45; no. 1; pp. 204 - 210
• Main Authors: Cruz, Génesis, De León, Lenin, Bethancourt, Ariadna, Ríos, Nivia, Krause, Rachel, Sandoval, Nidia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Delhi Springer India 01.03.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anthelmintic agents; Cysts; Drug resistance; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Hyphae; Infectious Diseases; Inoculation; Intestinal parasites; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Nematophagous fungi; Oocysts; Original; Original Article; Paecilomyces; Parasites; Protozoa; Soil microorganisms; Panama; Nematophagous fungi; Pigs; Gastrointestinal nematodes; Panama; Antagonistic effects; Protozoan parasites; Paecilomyces
• ISSN: 0971-7196; 0975-0703
• DOI: 10.1007/s12639-020-01297-3

A variety of gastrointestinal parasites naturally infect domestic pigs in Panama which may also occur as zoonotic infections in humans. Anthelmintic drug treatment, including mass drug administration, can lead to drug resistance, reflecting a need for alternatives. The objectives of this exploratory and observational study were: (1) to isolate and cultivate natives species of Paecilomyces from natural soils in Panama, and (2) to evaluate isolated strains for their capacity to parasitize endemic gastrointestinal nematode and protozoan parasites recovered from naturally infected domestic pigs by observing cultures for spore adhesion and hyphae penetration phases. Using microcultivation and inoculation techniques, four strains of Paecilomyces were isolated from three locations in Panama, out of which three successfully adhered to and penetrated free-living stages (eggs, cysts and oocysts) of Balantidium suis , coccidia, Trichuris suis and hookworm. To our knowledge, this is the first published report of a nematophagous fungus such as Paecilomyces successfully infecting this range of gastrointestinal parasites, particularly protozoan parasites.