Antagonistic effects of native strains of the soil fungus Paecilomyces against gastrointestinal nematode and protozoan parasites of pigs in Panama

The objectives of this exploratory and observational study were: (1) to isolate and cultivate natives species ofPaecilomyces from natural soils in Panama, and (2) to evaluate isolated strains for their capacity to parasitize endemic gastrointestinal nematode and protozoan parasites recovered from naturally infected domestic pigs by observing cultures for spore adhesion and hyphae penetration phases. Using microcultivation and inoculation techniques, four strains ofPaecilomyces were isolated from three locations in Panama, out of which three successfully adhered to and penetrated free-living stages (eggs, cysts and oocysts) ofBalantidium suis, coccidia,Trichuris suis and hookworm. To our knowledge, this is the first published report of a nematophagous fungus such asPaecilomyces successfully infecting this range of gastrointestinal parasites, particularly protozoan parasites.
Source: Journal of Parasitic Diseases - Category: Parasitology Source Type: research