The Isolation and Identification of Fungi Gathered from Districts in Bangkok, Thailand Where Dengue Fever Is at Epidemic Levels

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundThe Aedes mosquito is a major vector of many important diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever. Biological methods of controlling mosquitos are desirable because they are ecologically friendlier, safer, and more cost effective than chemical and physical methods of controlling mosquitos.MethodsWater samples in the mosquitoes’ breeding containers from districts in Bangkok were collected from the mosquitoes breeding containers situated in seven districts of Bangkok, Thailand. The DNA was extracted from each sample of the isolated fungi. Purified DNA specimens were amplified in a PCR reaction with universal primers of ITS1 and ITS4. All the PCR product was sequencing, alignment and comparing the homologous sequence in GenBank database.ResultsFourteen strains of fungi were isolated. The most commonly found strain was Penicillium citrinum, which was discovered in six of the 30 isolated fungi samples.ConclusionBiological control strategies for the mosquito population should be further investigated because they are considered to be ecologically friendlier, safer, and more cost effective than chemical insecticides.