Abstract
In 2018, we conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate azole resistance in environmental Aspergillus fumigatus isolates obtained from different agricultural fields in China. Using 63 soil cores, we cultured for azole-resistant A. fumigatus and characterized isolates by their cyp51A gene type, short tandem repeat genotype, and mating type. Of 206 A. fumigatus isolates, 21 (10.2%) were azole resistant. Nineteen of 21 had mutations in their cyp51A gene (5 TR34/L98H, 8 TR34/L98H/S297T/F495I, 6 TR46/Y121F/T289A). Eighteen were cultured from soil samples acquired from strawberry fields, suggesting this soil type is a potential hotspot for azole resistance selection. Twenty resistant isolates were mating type MAT1-1, suggesting asexual sporulation contributed to their evolution. Prochloraz, difenoconazole, and tebuconazole were the most frequently detected fungicides in soil samples with azole-resistant fungus. Our study results suggest that managing the fungicides used in agriculture will help contain the problem of antifungal drug resistance in clinics.
Highlights
In 2018, we conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate azole resistance in environmental Aspergillus fumigatus isolates obtained from different agricultural fields in China
Detection of Azole-Resistant A. fumigatus Isolates in Soil Samples From 126 soil sample suspensions cultured for 72 h, we obtained 210 suspected A. fumigatus isolates
Further confirmatory MIC testing showed that 21 A. fumigatus isolates were azole resistant according to European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) criteria
Summary
In 2018, we conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate azole resistance in environmental Aspergillus fumigatus isolates obtained from different agricultural fields in China. The effectiveness of this drug class is being threatened by the emergence and global spread of azole resistance in clinical and environmental Aspergillus fumigatus isolates [3,4]. Reproduction, and genetic variation of A. fumigatus and containing residual azole fungicides, which can facilitate the emergence, amplification, and spread of triazole resistance mutations, are considered to be potential. We describe a cross-sectional study we conducted to investigate azole resistance in A. fumigatus isolates in different agricultural fields, identify hotspots of resistance, and evaluate the relationship between azole resistance and use of azole fungicides
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