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Microbial Ecology

Blastomyces dermatitidis Environmental Prevalence in Minnesota: Analysis and Modeling Using Soil Collected at Basal and Outbreak Sites

Katrina M. Jackson, Keith C. Pelletier, Joni Scheftel, Joshua D. Kerkaert, Serina L. Robinson, Tami McDonald, Jeff B. Bender, Joseph F. Knight, Malia Ireland, Kirsten Nielsen
Christopher A. Elkins, Editor
Katrina M. Jackson
aDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Keith C. Pelletier
bDepartment of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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Joni Scheftel
cMinnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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Joshua D. Kerkaert
aDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Serina L. Robinson
dInstitute of Microbiology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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Tami McDonald
aDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Jeff B. Bender
eDivision of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Joseph F. Knight
bDepartment of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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Malia Ireland
cMinnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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Kirsten Nielsen
aDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Christopher A. Elkins
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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DOI: 10.1128/AEM.01922-20
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ABSTRACT

Outbreaks of blastomycosis, caused by the fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis, occur in areas of endemicity in the United States and Canada, but the geographic range of blastomycosis is expanding. Previous studies inferred the location of B. dermatitidis through epidemiologic data associated with outbreaks because culture of B. dermatitidis from the environment is often unsuccessful. In this study, we used a culture-independent, PCR-based method to identify B. dermatitidis DNA in environmental samples using the BAD1 promoter region. We tested 250 environmental samples collected in Minnesota, either associated with blastomycosis outbreaks or environmental samples collected from regions of high and low endemicity to determine the basal prevalence of B. dermatitidis in the environment. We identified a fifth BAD1 promoter haplotype of B. dermatitidis prevalent in Minnesota. Ecological niche analysis identified latitude, longitude, elevation, and site classification as environmental parameters associated with the presence of B. dermatitidis. Using this analysis, a random forest model predicted the presence of B. dermatitidis in basal environmental samples with 75% accuracy. These data support the use of culture-independent, PCR-based environmental sampling to track spread into new regions and to characterize the unknown B. dermatitidis environmental niche.

IMPORTANCE Upon inhalation of spores from the fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis from the environment, humans and animals can develop the disease blastomycosis. Based on disease epidemiology, B. dermatitidis is known to be endemic in the United States and Canada around the Great Lakes and in the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys but is starting to emerge in other areas. B. dermatitidis is extremely difficult to culture from the environment, so little is known about the environmental reservoirs for this pathogen. We used a culture-independent PCR-based assay to identify the presence of B. dermatitidis DNA in soil samples from Minnesota. By combining molecular data with ecological niche modeling, we were able to predict the presence of B. dermatitidis in environmental samples with 75% accuracy and to define characteristics of the B. dermatitidis environmental niche. Importantly, we showed the effectiveness of using a PCR-based assay to identify B. dermatitidis in environmental samples.

FOOTNOTES

    • Received 5 August 2020.
    • Accepted 7 December 2020.
    • Accepted manuscript posted online 18 December 2020.
  • Supplemental material is available online only.

  • Copyright © 2021 American Society for Microbiology.

All Rights Reserved.

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Blastomyces dermatitidis Environmental Prevalence in Minnesota: Analysis and Modeling Using Soil Collected at Basal and Outbreak Sites
Katrina M. Jackson, Keith C. Pelletier, Joni Scheftel, Joshua D. Kerkaert, Serina L. Robinson, Tami McDonald, Jeff B. Bender, Joseph F. Knight, Malia Ireland, Kirsten Nielsen
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Feb 2021, 87 (5) e01922-20; DOI: 10.1128/AEM.01922-20

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Blastomyces dermatitidis Environmental Prevalence in Minnesota: Analysis and Modeling Using Soil Collected at Basal and Outbreak Sites
Katrina M. Jackson, Keith C. Pelletier, Joni Scheftel, Joshua D. Kerkaert, Serina L. Robinson, Tami McDonald, Jeff B. Bender, Joseph F. Knight, Malia Ireland, Kirsten Nielsen
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Feb 2021, 87 (5) e01922-20; DOI: 10.1128/AEM.01922-20
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KEYWORDS

mycosis
Mycoses
human fungal pathogen
soil
nonculturable
modeling
GIS
dog
animal
veterinary
canine
endemic mycoses
modelling
soil microbiology
veterinary pathogens

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