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01-11-2016 | Original Article

Fungal flora in the mouth of venomous and non-venomous snakes

Authors: Rouhullah Dehghani, Alireza Sharif, Mohammad Ali Assadi, Hamed Haddad Kashani, Mohammad Reza Sharif

Published in: Comparative Clinical Pathology | Issue 6/2016

Abstract

Mortality as a direct result of venomous snake bites is estimated to be in the thousands worldwide per year. However, while venom may be the primary mortality vector, snake oral cavities can also contain significant pathogens capable of causing infection in bite victims. This study was conducted to identify potentially pathogenic fungal flora in the oral cavities of venomous and non-venomous snakes. Sterile swabs were used to retrieve samples from the oral cavities of different snakes followed by medium-specific culture. Slide culture technology was also used in the identification of fungal flora. Rhizopus and Mucor represented the most common fungal flora each making up 29 % of the total. Alternaria, Cladosporium, Aspergillus and Candida represented a significantly smaller portion of fungal pathogen load at around 3 % each. Fungi, Yeast (19.4 %) and Penicillium (9.7 %), were also identified in the retrieved samples. Our results indicate that both venomous and non-venomous snakes carry a significant fungal pathogenic load in their oral cavities. Therefore, fungal infection should be considered, in addition to toxicity, especially in snake bite victims with immune deficiency.

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Title: Fungal flora in the mouth of venomous and non-venomous snakes
Authors: Rouhullah Dehghani
Alireza Sharif
Mohammad Ali Assadi
Hamed Haddad Kashani
Mohammad Reza Sharif
Publication date: 01-11-2016
Publisher: Springer London
Published in: Comparative Clinical Pathology / Issue 6/2016
Print ISSN: 1618-5641
Electronic ISSN: 1618-565X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-016-2330-1

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Fungal flora in the mouth of venomous and non-venomous snakes

Abstract

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Abstract

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