Isolation of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis from armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) in an area where the fungus was recently isolated from soil.

Natural infection of armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis in Northern Brazil was reported in 1986, raising great interest in the understanding of the role of this mammal in the epidemiological cycle of the fungus. Recently, P. brasiliensis was isolated from the soil of Ibiá, State of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Armadillos captured in this area were evaluated for the presence of P. brasiliensis in the viscera and infection was detected in 4/16 animals (25%). Fungal yeast phase cells were observed in three of the four infected armadillos by direct microscopic examination and by the indirect immunofluorescence test carried out on homogenized tissues. P. brasiliensis was isolated from three armadillos whose homogenized viscera had been injected into Swiss mice. The new strains (Ibiá-T1, Ibiá-T2 and Ibiá-T3) were identified as P. brasiliensis on the basis of macro- and micromorphology, thermodimorphism, production and serologic activity of exoantigens, and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-detection of the gp43 gene. The lethality and lesions caused to the mice from which the strains were recovered confirmed the virulence of the isolates. We conclude that P. brasiliensis infects armadillos in locations with different geoclimatic characteristics and vegetation cover. The direct observation of yeast cells in tissues and the multiple visceral involvement, including the lungs, suggests the occurrence of paracoccidioidomycosis disease in these mammals and supports their role as wild hosts in the epidemiological cycle of the fungus.

Comparative efficacy of fluconazole and amphotericin B in the parenteral treatment of experimental paracoccidioidomycosis in the rat.

Patients with severe and complicated paracoccidioidomycosis are treated with amphotericin B by the intravenous route. Fluconazole is active in vitro against Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and can also be administered intravenously, but few clinical or experimental data are available about its action against the infection caused by this fungus. In the present study, the efficacy of fluconazole and amphotericin B was assessed comparatively in rats inoculated parenterally with P. brasiliensis. The treatment was performed 3 times a week for 4 weeks starting one week after infection. Fluconazole administered intraperitoneally (14 mg/kg body weight/dose) was more effective (P < 0.001) than amphotericin B (2 mg/kg body weight/dose) in reducing the number of colony forming units in the lungs and spleen. When administered intravenously at the dose of 3 mg/kg body weight, fluconazole was as effective as amphotericin B (0.8 mg/kg body weight) in reducing the pulmonary fungal burden. Under these conditions, the rats treated with fluconazole had a smaller number of colony forming units than untreated animals (P < 0.001), but amphotericin B was more effective than fluconazole in reducing spleen infection (P < 0.005). Except for this result obtained with a low dose, fluconazole showed an antifungal action equal to or higher than that of amphotericin B. The activity of fluconazole at doses equivalent to those used for human treatment suggests that this antifungal agent may be an alternative to amphotericin B for the early intravenous treatment of patients with paracoccidioidomycosis.