Traqueal and cloacal fungi of the antarctic skuas Catharacta sp.

LEOTTA G.A., ; REINOSO E.H., ; CORDOBA S., ; MONTALTI D., ; GUNSKI R.J.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Congreso; 14th Congress of the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology; 2000

International Society for Human and Animal Mycology

Fungi are known to be pathogens in seabirds, such as Aspergillus and Candida. No data about fungi were reported in skuas. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of fungi in Catharacta sp. and classify the genus isolated. Samples (30) from trachea and cloacae were taken from the 10% of the Potter Peninsula, 25 de Mayo Island of this birds. Then, streaked in Sabouraud agar with the addition of dextrose, yeast extract and cloranphenicol during 10 days at 28C. the study revealed a prevalence of fungi in 53% and 73% of the trachea and cloacae samples, respectively. The fungi genus most frequently isolated of the trachea were Cladosporium, Cryptococcus, Rhodotorula, Curvularia, Penicillium, Eurotium, Aspergillus and Candida; and the cloacal fungi genus were Cryptococcus, Rhodotorula, Candida, Penicillium and Cladosporium, among other. As far we concerned in Catharacta sp. a high prevalence of genus known and other suspected to be pathogens, was identified. Further studies are needed to clarify the pathogenic role of many of these isolated fungi