Adiaspiromycoses in wild rodents from the Pyrenees, north-eastern Spain

Abstract

Adiaspiromycosis is a non-transmissible infectious pulmonary disease caused by the inhalation of propagules from fungal species belonging to the family Ajellomicetaceae, especially Emergomyces crescens. Adiaspiromycosis caused by E. crescens have been recorded in a broad number of species worldwide, with small burrowing mammals being considered the main hosts for this environmental pathogen. Only a handful of studies on adiaspiromycosis in European wildlife have been published so far. Here, we assessed the occurrence of adiaspiromycosis in wild rodents from the central Spanish Pyrenees (NE Spain). The lungs of 302 mice and 46 voles were screened for the presence of adiaspores through histopathological examination. Pulmonary adiaspiromycosis was recorded in 21.6% of all individuals (75/348), corresponding to 63/299 Apodemus sylvaticus and 12/40 Myodes glareolus. Adiaspore burden varied highly between animals, with a mean of 0.19 spores/mm2 and a percentage of affected lungs ranging from <0.01 to over 8%. Results show that the infection is present in wild rodents from the central Spanish Pyrenees. Although the impact of this infection on non-endangered species is potentially mild, it might contribute to genetic diversity loss in endangered species.