For Coccidioidomycosis — A possible source of infectious spores and of therapeutic agents

Summary

Thirty-nine plant samples collected from the desert and from the cactus garden of The University of Arizona were examined for their ability to support the growth ofCoccidioides immitis in agar culture. On this basis and the location of the fungal growth as well as the degree of development of the fungus, the plants could be divided into five categories. No fungal growth was observed over a period of eight weeks in association with five of the plants. Four plants permitted growth of the mold within the agar medium only. Another five allowed some growth on the plant material but sporulation was never encountered. The largest group consisted of twenty plants on which the fungus grew moderately and sporulated lightly. In association with five plants,C. immitis grew well and sporulated heavily.

The findings suggest that some plants may contain substances that would be therapeutically useful and that others might serve as natural hosts on which the highly infective spores could be abundantly produced.