lsolation of Cryptococcus species from Eucalyptus trees located in a park in Bogotá

Abstract

The presence in a northeast park of Bogota of a tree classified as Eucalyptus camaldulensis according to the registers of the National University herbarium prompted this study, aimed at establishing if there was an association of the Eucalyptus trees in this park with Cryptococcus spp. For 24 months, bark samples were monthly collected from 19 Eucalyptus trees. The samples were extracted with PBS buffer and cultured in a selective media. From 426 bark samples collected, 17 Cryptococcus isolates were recovered: 14 C. laurentii, 2 C. neoformans var. neoformans serotype A and one C. albidus. The association between some Crypfococcus species and Eucalyptus trees was again established: nevertheless, C. neoformans var. gattii was not recovered.