Detection of Histoplasma capsulatum in Organic Fertilizers by Hc100 Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction and Its Correlation with the Physicochemical and Microbiological Characteristics of the Samples.

Histoplasma capsulatum is the causative agent of histoplasmosis and this fungus inhabits soils rich in phosphorus and nitrogen that are enriched with bird and bat manure. The replacement of organic matter in agroecosystems is necessary in the tropics, and the use of organic fertilizers has increased. Cases and outbreaks due to the presence of the fungus in these components have been reported. The Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario resolution 150 of 2003 contains the parameters set by the Colombian Technical Standard (NTC 5167) on the physicochemical and microbiological features of fertilizers, but it does not regulate the search for H. capsulatum. The aim of this study was to demonstrate H. capsulatum presence in organic fertilizers by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A total of 239 samples were collected: 201 (84.1%) corresponded to organic fertilizers, 30 (12.5%) to bird excrement, and 8 (3.4%) to cave soils. The Hc100 nested PCR had a detection limit of 0.1 pg/µL and a specificity of 100%. A total of 25 (10.5%) samples were positive and validated by sequencing. Seven of the positive samples represented locations where H. capsulatum was previously detected, suggesting the persistence of the fungus. No significant correlations were detected between the physicochemical and microbiological parameters with the presence of H. capsulatum by nested PCR, indicating the fungus existence in organic fertilizers that complied with the NTC 5167. The Hc100 nested PCR targeting H. capsulatum standardized in this work will improve the evaluation of organic fertilizers and ensure the prevention of outbreaks and cases due to manufacturing, marketing, and use of fertilizers contaminated with H. capsulatum.

Molecular identification of Coccidioides immitis in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues from a Colombian patient.

Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii are the etiologic agents of coccidioidomycosis, an endemic fungal disease of the Americas. In Colombia, this mycosis is uncommon, and only five cases, two of them imported, have been documented.By means of DNA sequencing, C. immitis was identified in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissues samples from the 5th Colombian patient diagnosed in 1997. The patient was born in Pinto, Department of Magdalena, and had never visited other geographic regions, a reason to consider that the mycosis had been acquired locally.This species is primarily found in California although it has been occasionally reported in other geographic areas such as Mexico and Brazil. This is the first indigenous report of C. immitis-associated coccidioidomycosis in a Colombian patient.

Epidemiología y clínica del paciente con enfermedad de Hanssen. Metrosalud 1990 – 1993 / Epidemiology and clinical characteristics of patients suffering from Hansen disease

Estudio descriptivo longitudinal en el programa control Hanssen del Instituto Metropolitano de Salud de Medellín en el período de Enero de 1990 a Junio de 1993, con el fin de determinar las principales características epidemiológicas y clínicas del paciente con lepra. La población de estudio estuvo conformada por 77 pacientes, obteniéndose la información de las historias clínicas, consignándose en un formulario precodificado. Se encontró una prevalencia de 3.67 por 100.000 habitantes. Con edades entre 30 y 69 años; el 61 por ciento de los pacientes fueron de sexo masculino, predominando la Lepra lepromatosa (66,2 por ciento), siendo esta la de mayor fuente de contagio. El 85 por ciento de los pacientes en algún momento de su enfermedad se incapacitaron; al diagnostico el 68,8 por ciento presentaban incapacidades grado 0 y 1 en manos y pies. Los hombres fueron los que presentaron mayor número y grado de incapacidad...