Abstract
Thermophilic actinomycetes were isolated from 163 (48.95%) of 333 samples of vegetable substrates and soil from different sites in Anambra and Enugu States in Nigeria.Thermoactinomyces (Tha.) vulgaris was the most common, occurring in 32.4% of samples whileTha. thalpophilus was isolated from 20.1%.Tha. sacchari, Saccharomonospora (Sam.) viridis andSaccharopolyspora (Sap.) rectivirgula were isolated from 3–10.5% of the samples examined.Streptomyces (Stm.) thermovulgaris occurred in 2.7% andThermomonospora spp. in 0.6% of samples. Except forStm. thermovulgaris and, perhaps,Thermomonospora spp., all the species isolated are known to be allergenic in man. The five known allergenic species were abundant in hay and maize silage.T. vulgaris andT. thalpophilus were also frequently isolated from rice straw.Tha. vulgaris, Tha. thalpophilus andSap. rectivirgula were all most numerous in hay whileTha. sacchari was most numerous in maize silage. The widespread occurrence of thermophilic actinomycetes in Nigeria emphasizes the need for investigation of their role in allergic respiratory disorders.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amner W, Edwards C & McCarthy AL (1989) Improved medium for recovery and enumeration of the farmer's lung organism,Saccharomonospora viridis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 55: 2669–2674
Cross T (1968) Thermophilic actinomycetes. J. Appl. Bacteriol. 31: 36–53
de Haller R (1974) Farmer's lung in Switzerland. In: de Haller R & Suter F (Eds) Aspergillosis and Farmer's Lung in Man and Animal (p 207) Hans Huber, Bern
Depierre A, Dalphisa JC, Pernet D, Dubiez A, Faucompre C & Breton JL (1988) Epidemiological study of farmer's lung in five districts of the French Dauba province. Thorax 43: 429–435
DGuid JP (1965) Microscopy. In: Cruickshank R, DGuid JP & Swain RHA (Eds) Medical Microbiology (pp 636–637) The ELBS and E8S Livingstone Ltd., London
Dickie HW & Rankin J (1958) Farmer's lung. An acute granulomatous interstitial pneumonitis occurring in agricultural workers. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 167: 1069–1076
Gangwar M, Khan ZU, Randhawa HS & Lacey J (1989) Distribution of clinically important thermophilic actinomycetes in vegetable substrates and soil in Northwest India. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 56: 201–209
Gordon MA (1985) Acrobic pathogenic actinomycetes. In: Lennet EH, Balows A, Hausler WI Jr. & Shadomy HJ (Eds) Manual of Clinical Microbiology (pp 249–269). American Society for Microbiology, Washington
Grant IWB, Blyth W, Wardrop VE, Gordon RM, Pearson JCG & Mair A (1972) Prevalence of farmer's lung in Scotland. A pilot survey. Br. Med. J. i: 530–534
Guernsey JR, Morgan DP, Marx JJ, Horvath EP, Pierce P & Merchant J (1986) The prognostic significance of farmer's lung disease anti-bodies relative to measures of respiratory disease: a Wisconsin dairy farming population. Am. Rev. Resp. Dis. 133: 256–260
Katila ML & Mäntyjärvi RA (1978) Diagnostic value of antibodies to the traditional antigens of farmer's lung in Finland. Clin. Allergy 8: 581–587
Kurup VP & Fink JN (1975) A scheme for the identification of thermophilic actinomycetes associated with hypersensitivity pneumonitis. J. Clin. Microbiol. 21: 55–61
Kurup VP, Fink JN & Bauman DM (1976) Thermophilic actinomycetes from the environment. Mycologia 68: 662–666
Kurup VP, Mäntyjärvi RA, Terho EO, Ojanen TH & Kalbfleisch JH (1987) Circulating IgG antibodies against fungal and actinomycete antigens in the sera of farmer's lung patients from different countries. Mycopathologia 98: 91–99
Lacey J (1971)Thermoactinomyces sacchari sp. nov., a thermophilic actinomycete causing bagassosis. J. Gen. Microbiol. 66: 327–338
—— (1974) Moulding of sugar cane bagasse and its prevention. Ann. Appl. Biol. 76: 63–67
—— (1978) The ecology of actinomycetes in fodders and related substrates. In: Modarski M, Kurylowicz W & Jeljaszewicz J (Eds)Nocardia andStreptomyces (pp 161–170) Zbl. Bakteriol. Mikrobiol. Hyg. 1 Abteil., Suppl. 6, Gustaf Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart
—— (1980) Colonization of damp organic substrates and spontaneous heating. In: Gould GW & Corry JEL (Eds) Microbial Growth and Survival in Extremes of Environment (pp 53–70) Soc. Appl. Bacteriol. Tech. Ser. No. 15, Academic Press, London
—— (1988) Actinomycetes as biodeteriogens and pollutants of the environment. In: Goodfellow M, Williams ST & Mordarski M (Eds) Actinomycetes in Biotechnology (pp 359–432) Academic Press, London
—— (1989) Airborne health hazards from agricultural materials. In: Flannigan B (Ed) Airborne Deteriogens and Pathogens and Their Control (pp 13–28) Biodet. Soc. Occ. Pub. No. 6, The Biodeterioration Society, Kew
Lacey J & Cross T (1989) GenusThermoactinomyces Tsiklinsky 1899, 501AL. In: Williams ST, Sharpe ME & Holt J (Eds) Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Vol. 4 (pp 2574–2585) Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore
Lechevalier HA (1989a) A practical guide to generic identification of actinomycetes. In: Williams ST, Sharpe ME & Holt J (Eds) Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Vol. 4 (pp 2344–2347) Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore
Lechevalier HA (1989b) Nocardiform actinomycetes. In: Williams ST, Sharpe ME & Holt J (Eds) Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bateriology, Vol. 4 (pp 2348–2404) Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore
Locci R (1989)Streptomyces and related genera. In: Williams ST, Sharpe ME & Holt J (Eds) Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Vol. 4 (pp 2451–2492) Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore
McCarthy AJ (1989)Thermomonospora and related genera. In: Williams ST, Sharpe ME & Holt J (Eds) Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Vol. 4 (pp 2552–25) Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore
McGinnis MR (1980) Laboratory Handbook of Medical Mycology (p 582) Acad. Press. New York
Okafor N (1966) Thermophilic actinomycetes in rotting maize. Nature 210: 220
Pepys J, Jenkins PA, Festenstein GN, Gregory PH, Lacey ME & Skinner FA (1963) Farmer's lung: thermophilic actinomycetes as a source of ‘farmer's lung hay’ antigen. Lancet 2: 607–611
Terho EO & Lacey J (1979) Microbiological and serological studies of farmer's lung in Finland. Clin. Allergy 9: 43–52
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Unaogu, I.C., Gugnani, H.C. & Lacey, J. Occurrence of thermophilic actinomycetes in natural substrates in Nigeria. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 65, 1–5 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00878272
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00878272