title: Lagenidium giganteum pathogenicity in mammals.
abstract: Infections of mammals by species in the phylum Oomycota taxonomically and molecularly similar to known Lagenidium giganteum strains have increased. During 2013-2014, we conducted a phylogenetic study of 21 mammalian Lagenidium isolates; we found that 11 cannot be differentiated from L. giganteum strains that the US Environmental Protection Agency approved for biological control of mosquitoes; these strains were later unregistered and are no longer available. L. giganteum strains pathogenic to mammals formed a strongly supported clade with the biological control isolates, and both types experimentally infected mosquito larvae. However, the strains from mammals grew well at 25°C and 37°C, whereas the biological control strains developed normally at 25°C but poorly at higher temperatures. The emergence of heat-tolerant strains of L. giganteum pathogenic to lower animals and humans is of environmental and public health concern.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vilela
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Edward D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Leonel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mendoza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009033:Culicidae / Q000382:microbiology; D021901:DNA, Intergenic; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D044726:Lagenidium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D007814:Larva; D008322:Mammals; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D021901:DNA, Intergenic