Isolation of dermatophytes and other keratinophilic fungi from surface sediments of the Shatt Al-Arab River and its creeks at Basrah, Iraq.

Twenty-five sediment samples were taken from randomly selected sites in the Shatt Al-Arab River and its creeks and analysed for dermatophytes and related keratinophilic fungi. The results revealed that out of 25 samples only 13 (52%) yielded dermatophytes and related keratinophilic fungi. A total of nine species in four genera were isolated. The most frequent genera isolated in this study were Chrysosporium and its teleomorph Aphanoascus. The species most frequently found were Aphanoascus fulvescens, A. durus, Chrysosporium crassitunicatum, Chr. keratinophilum and Chr. tropicum (each n = 3). Microsporum was represented by two species, namely M. fulvum and M. gypseum. Trichophyton was represented by one species, T. verrucosum. The occurrence of these fungi illustrates that sediments may act as a reservoir for potentially pathogenic fungi for human and animals.

Detection of African horsesickness (AHS) in recently vaccinated horses with inactivated vaccine in Qatar.

Two 7-year old Arabian racing horses were reported to show typical AHS symptoms in Qatar and died shortly after. The horses had been vaccinated with formol inactivated vaccine approximately 10 days before the onset of the disease. Blood samples from these horses were collected and AHS virus isolated from one sample after intracerebral (i.c.) inoculation into suckling mice. The virus identity was confirmed by complement fixation test (CFT) using the virus antigen and reference type 9 of AHS virus hyperimmune serum. The serotype of the isolated virus was identified by serum neutralization test (SNT) using reference types of AHS virus. Two possibilities of the original source of this infection were suggested. The infection might be due first to the natural endemic occurrence of the virus in the country and secondly, to the presence of residual infectious virus in the inactivated vaccine.