Factors Influencing Distribution of Coccidioides immitis in Soil, Washington State, 2016
Nancy A. Chow, David Kangiser, Lalitha Gade, Orion Z. McCotter, Steven Hurst, Amy Salamone, Ron Wohrle, Wayne Clifford, Sunkyung Kim, Zainab Salah, Hanna N. Oltean, Geoffrey S. Plumlee, Anastasia P. Litvintseva
Abstract
spp. is essential for generating accurate distribution maps and predicting future changes in response to the changing environment. Our study used a systematic sampling strategy, advanced molecular detection methods, and soil chemical analysis to identify environmental factors associated with the presence of C. immitis in soil. Our results demonstrate the fungus can colonize the same areas for years and is associated with chemical and microbiological soil characteristics. Our results suggest that in addition to climate parameters, soil characteristics need to be considered when building habitat distribution models for this pathogen.