| Abstract Detail
Mycological Section Smyth, Christopher [1], Sarmiento-Ramírez, Jullie [2], Short, Dylan [3], Diéguez-Uribeondo, Javier [2], Geiser, David [1]. Understanding the Impact of the Indoor vs. Natural Environments on Population Structure of Two Fusarium Species Implicated in Human and Animal Infections. Fungal infections of animals are increasingly common, with devastating consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem health. Fusarium keratoplasticum (Fk) and Fusarium falciforme (Ff) are emerging disease agents causing mass mortalities in the nests of endangered sea turtles globally. These are generally common, cosmopolitan species of filamentous fungi that are known opportunistic pathogens of immunosuppressed, and sometimes healthy, humans and animals. Ff is found around the world as a common soil-associated species, but Fk tends to occur more frequently in areas under high anthropogenic influence, particularly sink drains and human and animal infections. A foundational understanding of their overall genetic diversity and population structure is important for improved sea turtle conservation, as well as knowledge about these environmentally ubiquitous fungi. Both species show high levels of genetic diversity, and known anthropogenic isolates of Fk are dominated by an expanding clone complex. Isolates from sea turtle eggs allow for understanding global population biology of these two species on a broader scale, and determining possible connections to clone complexes associated with plumbing and human infections. The results will allow for inferences concerning epidemiology of Fusarium infections in sea turtle eggs, as well as the impact of indoor versus natural environments on population structure.
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1 - Pennsylvania State University , Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
2 - Real Jardin Botanico de Madrid, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain
3 - West Virginia University, Plant Pathology, Morgantown, WV, USA
Keywords:
Fusarium
Sea Turtle
genetic diversity
population structure
sink drain.
Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Hall D/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PMY038
Abstract ID:701
Candidate for Awards:MSA Best Poster Presentation Award by a Graduate Student |
