The Association between Coccidioides immitis and Rodent Habitats in Washington State Remains Unresolved

Abstract

On 22 December 2021, we published a research article describing the distribution of Coccidioides immitis in soil in Washington State (1). There, we used a systematic sampling approach, Coccidioides-specific reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR), amplicon sequencing, and soil chemical analyses to describe the distribution of C. immitis in soil. We identified soil chemical and microbiological signatures associated with the presence of Coccidioides DNA and demonstrated that the same strain can colonize a 46,000-m2 area for 6 years. We also reported no association between rodent habitats and C. immitis, as equal proportions of Coccidioides-positive samples were detected in rodent burrows and in the surrounding soils.