ISSN 2375-1185
African Journal of Agronomy ISSN: 2375-1185 Vol. 12 (6), pp. 001-007, June, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
The Role of Environmental Disturbances in Pathogen Dispersion: A Study of the 2012 Thailand Floods
Supattra Suwanmanee1 and Natthanej Luplertlop2*
1Department of Tropical Pathology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
2Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
Received 9 January, 2024; Accepted 19 May, 2024
Abstract
Fungi and bacteria in water samples taken from various flooded areas in Narathiwat Province, Thailand, were investigated. They were isolated by filtration from water samples, and identified by examining macroscopic and microscopic features for fungi and using biochemical methods for bacteria. Nine species of filamentous fungi and two yeast species were isolated. Water contaminated with dermatophytes contained Trichophyton mentagrophytes (44%), Trichophyton rubrum (19%) and Microsporum canis (15%). The yeast Candida albicans was also found (75.5%). Water samples were contaminated with fungi, identified as non-cutaneous mycoses. The dominant fungi were Aspergillus niger (73%), Cladosporium spp. (58%) and Aspergillus flavus (41%). Thirteen bacterial strains were isolated from the samples; Gram-negative bacteria were most prevalent. The three dominant Gram-negative bacteria were Escherichia coli (62.5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (61%) and Enterobacter spp. (59.5%). The two most abundant Gram-positive bacteria were Corynebacterium spp. (59.5%) and Bacillus spp. (not Bacillus cereus) (52.5%). These results suggest contaminated flood areas may be a transmission route for pathogens, and increase the risk of abnormal skin conditions among people exposed to the area.
Key words: Flood, Thailand, fungus, bacteria, yeast.