Search

Scedosporium species are opportunistic pathogens causing various infections, including disseminated infections in severely immunocompromised patients. Preventive measures aiming to reduce the risk of exposure to these fungi require a better knowledge on their ecology and on the sources of contamination of the patients. In this context, 99 soil samples from the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra and Fez-Meknes regions in Morocco were analyzed. Samples were inoculated on the highly selective Scedo-Select III culture medium, and seven chemical parameters of the soils were measured. Scedosporium species were detected in 48 of the samples, with the highest density in soils from wastewater treatment plants and landfills, followed by those from roadsides and polluted riverbanks, thus confirming the impact of human activities on their ecology. Scedosporium apiospermum was the most common species, followed by S. boydii and S. aurantiacum. Analysis of the chemical parameters of the soils revealed the presence of Scedosporium species was mainly associated with a moderate electrical conductivity, a pH range of 7.0 to 7.6, a nutrient-rich content and a moderate phosphorus amount. Thereby, these results demonstrated the relatively high occurrence of Scedosporium in Morocco and highlighted the impact of phosphorus content on their ecology.

In cystic fibrosis (CF), respiratory infections are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Bacteria are the most common causative agents of these infections, but an increasing number of fungal species may also be found, including Scedosporium species and species of the Rasamsonia argillacea complex. In order to improve our knowledge on the epidemiology of these infections, here we evaluated the interest of PCR amplification of repetitive DNA sequences (rep-PCR) for species identification and strain delineation. rep-PCR was applied to the retrospective analysis of a panel of 63 isolates belonging to the Scedosporiumgenus. Results were consistent with those obtained by beta-tubulingene sequencing, random amplification of polymorphic DNA and Multilocus Sequence Typing. rep-PCR also permitted precise species identification in the R. argillacea complex. Analysis of the data obtained on 116 isolates revealed the capacity of these fungi to chronically colonize the airways of patients with CF, a unique electrophoretic profile being observed usually for each patient. Finally, we produced in this thesis new data about the ecology of Scedosporium species by studying different biotopes in Morocco. As previously reported, these fungi are mainly found in human-impacted areas. Also they prefer soils with a neutral pH, a high organic matter content and a very low mineral salts content. In addition, if S. apiospermum was by far the predominant species, S. boydii, S. aurantiacum and S. dehoogii were encountered with similar frequencies. In conclusion, data provided here reinforce our knowledge on the epidemiology of the infections caused by these emerging pathogens.; Dans la mucoviscidose, le tableau clinique est dominé par les infections respiratoires qui constituent la cause majeure de morbidité. Diverses espèces fongiques sont décrites dans ces infections, notamment les Scedosporium et le complexe Rasamsonia argillacea pour lesquels les connaissances restent limitées. Dans ce travail, nous avons évalué l’intérêt de l’amplification des séquences répétitives de l’ADN pour la différenciation spécifique et infraspécifique de ces champignons. La rep-PCR a d’abord été appliquée à l’analyse d'isolats du genre Scedosporium. La rep-PCR a produit des résultats concordants avec ceux obtenus par séquençage du gène de la bêta-tubuline, amplification aléatoire de fragments d’ADN polymorphes et séquençage multi-loci. Elle permet également l’identification précise des espèces au sein du complexe R. argillacea. L’analyse des résultats obtenus sur 116 isolats a montré la capacité de ces champignons à coloniser de manière chronique les voies respiratoires, un même profil électrophorétique étant observé généralement chez un même patient. Enfin, nous avons produit de nouvelles données sur l’écologie des Scedosporium en étudiant différents biotopes au Maroc. Comme précédemment rapporté,ces champignons préfèrent les environnements impactés parles activités humaines. On les rencontre dans des sols de pH neutre, riches en matières organiques et pauvres en sels. Enfin, si S. apiospermum était l’espèce la plus abondante, S. boydii, S. aurantiacum et S. dehoogii ont été rencontrés avec des fréquences comparables. En conclusion, les données générées renforcent nos connaissances sur l’épidémiologie des infections causées par ces pathogènes émergents.