Emergence of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa among pet animals: a possible public health risk on the move

Abstract Rhodotorulae are environmentally ubiquitous yeasts that were originally considered non-pathogenic. However, over the last fifty years, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (R. mucilaginosa) has established itself as an emerging opportunistic pathogen incriminated in several systemic and localized infec...

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Main Authors: Hassan Aboul-Ella, Tarek Mosallam, Ojena Samir, Aisha Ali, Arwa Qasim, Hossam Eldin Mahmoud, Ahmed Samir
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-05-01
Series:BMC Microbiology
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-025-03894-9
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author Hassan Aboul-Ella
Tarek Mosallam
Ojena Samir
Aisha Ali
Arwa Qasim
Hossam Eldin Mahmoud
Ahmed Samir
author_facet Hassan Aboul-Ella
Tarek Mosallam
Ojena Samir
Aisha Ali
Arwa Qasim
Hossam Eldin Mahmoud
Ahmed Samir
author_sort Hassan Aboul-Ella
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Rhodotorulae are environmentally ubiquitous yeasts that were originally considered non-pathogenic. However, over the last fifty years, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (R. mucilaginosa) has established itself as an emerging opportunistic pathogen incriminated in several systemic and localized infections in humans and animals. Most of the rhodotorulosis cases were linked directly or indirectly to an immunocompromising event in the affected cases. Nevertheless, recently, a few non-immunocompromised cases were reported. In the current study, performed throughout the period from April/2023 to April/2024, 450 samples were collected from pet animals and investigated for the existence and coexistence of Rhodotorula spp. in different clinically diagnosed infectious cases. 173 (38.5%) samples showed positive direct microscopic slides of different sizes of Gram-positive budding yeast cells, 21 (4.7%). Rhodotorula isolates mixed with other yeasts and/or bacterial pathogens were recovered from nasal passages and ear canal swabs collected from dogs and cats suffering from nasal affection and otitis externa. Laboratory investigations were based on sample collection, microscopic examination, primary isolation and identification, biochemical and post-culturing characterization, antifungal susceptibility testing, VITEK 2 Compact Identification System, DNA extraction, PCR amplification, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis. Moreover, antifungal susceptibility testing based on the standard broth microdilution test was applied to the recovered Rhodotorula isolates. In conclusion, the present findings spotlighted a prospective insight into the role of the emergence of R. mucilaginosa among pet animals and its possible public health concerns. Clinical trial number: Not Applicable.
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spelling doaj-art-a3821b7faa5944658889559f50ce351b2025-08-20T03:53:08ZengBMCBMC Microbiology1471-21802025-05-0125111210.1186/s12866-025-03894-9Emergence of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa among pet animals: a possible public health risk on the moveHassan Aboul-Ella0Tarek Mosallam1Ojena Samir2Aisha Ali3Arwa Qasim4Hossam Eldin Mahmoud5Ahmed Samir6Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo UniversityAnimal Reproduction Research InstituteLeptoVet Laboratory for Veterinary Diagnostic ServicesLeptoVet Laboratory for Veterinary Diagnostic ServicesLeptoVet Laboratory for Veterinary Diagnostic ServicesDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo UniversityDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo UniversityAbstract Rhodotorulae are environmentally ubiquitous yeasts that were originally considered non-pathogenic. However, over the last fifty years, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (R. mucilaginosa) has established itself as an emerging opportunistic pathogen incriminated in several systemic and localized infections in humans and animals. Most of the rhodotorulosis cases were linked directly or indirectly to an immunocompromising event in the affected cases. Nevertheless, recently, a few non-immunocompromised cases were reported. In the current study, performed throughout the period from April/2023 to April/2024, 450 samples were collected from pet animals and investigated for the existence and coexistence of Rhodotorula spp. in different clinically diagnosed infectious cases. 173 (38.5%) samples showed positive direct microscopic slides of different sizes of Gram-positive budding yeast cells, 21 (4.7%). Rhodotorula isolates mixed with other yeasts and/or bacterial pathogens were recovered from nasal passages and ear canal swabs collected from dogs and cats suffering from nasal affection and otitis externa. Laboratory investigations were based on sample collection, microscopic examination, primary isolation and identification, biochemical and post-culturing characterization, antifungal susceptibility testing, VITEK 2 Compact Identification System, DNA extraction, PCR amplification, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis. Moreover, antifungal susceptibility testing based on the standard broth microdilution test was applied to the recovered Rhodotorula isolates. In conclusion, the present findings spotlighted a prospective insight into the role of the emergence of R. mucilaginosa among pet animals and its possible public health concerns. Clinical trial number: Not Applicable.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-025-03894-9Cross-kingdoms talkOtomycosisNasal mycosisCo-infectionPolymicrobial infectionEmerging fungal infection
spellingShingle Hassan Aboul-Ella
Tarek Mosallam
Ojena Samir
Aisha Ali
Arwa Qasim
Hossam Eldin Mahmoud
Ahmed Samir
Emergence of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa among pet animals: a possible public health risk on the move
BMC Microbiology
Cross-kingdoms talk
Otomycosis
Nasal mycosis
Co-infection
Polymicrobial infection
Emerging fungal infection
title Emergence of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa among pet animals: a possible public health risk on the move
title_full Emergence of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa among pet animals: a possible public health risk on the move
title_fullStr Emergence of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa among pet animals: a possible public health risk on the move
title_full_unstemmed Emergence of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa among pet animals: a possible public health risk on the move
title_short Emergence of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa among pet animals: a possible public health risk on the move
title_sort emergence of rhodotorula mucilaginosa among pet animals a possible public health risk on the move
topic Cross-kingdoms talk
Otomycosis
Nasal mycosis
Co-infection
Polymicrobial infection
Emerging fungal infection
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-025-03894-9
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