Investigation of Cryptococcus neoformans and Histoplasma capsulatum in soil samples taken from inside and outside of Düzk？r Cave (Ni？de, Alada？lar)

Caves are defined as extreme environments because of they are dark, in low temperatures and high in humidity and they lack the entries of organic materials. Due to these extreme conditions, the microbial diversity of caves is composed of chemolithotrophic microorganisms that can use reduced inorganic compounds as their energy source. However, the natural biological properties of caves are deteriorating because of the entrance of new microorganisms and human related organic matters due to humans. Besides this, caves are appropriate colonization environments for pathogenic microorganisms such as Cryptococcus neoformans and Histoplazma capsulatum. Since the natural fauna of caves involve winged mammals such as bats and the faeces of these animals. Since this yeast is known to be causing serious health problems by direct contact or inhalation, it is clear that it will possess a risk for people who with any purpose visits these caves. For this reason, this study aims to determine the presence of Cryptococcus neoformans and Histoplasma capsulatum in inside and outside of the soils of Duzkir Cave. As a result of this study, one isolate of Cryptococcus species was acquired from one of the soil samples taken from inside the cave and it is confirmed as C. neoformans by using phenotypical and genotypical methods. However, Histoplasma capsulatum was not detected. The presented study is the first study involving Cryptococcus neoformans isolation from cave soil samples in Turkey