Viability and molecular authentication of Coccidioides immitis strains from culture collection of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Viabilidade e autenticação molecular de cepas de Coccidioides immitis da coleção de culturas do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Twenty Coccidioides immitis strains were evaluated. Only 5 of the 20 strains kept under mineral oil maintained their viability while all 5 subcultures preserved in water remained viable and none of the 13 subcultures kept in soil were viable. A 519 bp PCR product from the csa gene confirmed the identity of the strains.

Coccidioides immitis; Long-term preservation; PCR