Isolation and Molecular Diagnosis of Aspergillus Species Associated with Corona Virus Disease and their Sensitivity to Some Antifungal in Patients of Wasit Governorate

ABSTRACT

Background: Respiratory infections caused by fungal pathogens present a growing global health concern and are a major cause of death in immunocompromised patients. Worryingly, corona virus disease-19 (COVID-19) resulting in acute respiratory distress syndrome has been shown to predispose some patients to airborne fungal co-infections. Material and methods: One hundred sample include nasal;throat swab and sputum sample samples were collected from patients suffering from Corona virus disease underlying different disease. This study was recorded from October 2021 to the end of April 2022, including the criteria, patients of all age groups in isolation wards in Al-Zahra Teaching Hospital in wait Governorate. Samples were cultured in sabered agar and incubated for 10 days at 25°C under aerobic conditions. The identification of molds was done depended on the shape and color of the fungus on the plate and examined under the microscope and kept for further conformation and detection of the most common virulence factor by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), as well as to measure the sensitivity of these isolates against some antifungal drugs. Results: The total positive samples for molds isolation 17(17%) out of 100 samples were collected from patients suffering from Corona virus. The most isolated species was Aspergillus fumigatus with 9/40 (22.5%), followed by Afflatus was 5/40 (12.5%) and 3/40(7.5%) was Atreus. The results in this study show Gliotoxin gene was detected 8/9 (88.8%) in Fumigates, with PCR product of this gene was approximately 512 bp. While investigate aflatoxin (far) gene was found 5/5 (%100) in Afflatus, with PCR product of this gene was approximately 588bp. And lipase gene was detected by PCR in 2/3 (66.6) samples isolation of A. terries. The PCR amplification of lipase gene was approximately 591 bp. The antifungal drugs Clotrimazole and Econazole had most effect against each fungal spp. in this study. While antifungal drug Miconazole resist by Aspergillus spp., while Nystatin and Ketoconazole were resisted by Aspergillus spy only. The conclusion of this study was showed Aspergillus fumigatus were the most dominant inpatientswithpatients with Coronavirus diseases and Clotrimazole, Ketoconazole were the most antifungal drugs that have a wide effect on fungal infections. © 2022, ResearchTrentz Academy Publishing Education Services. All rights reserved.