One hundred and forty one soil samples were collected from various sites in Djerba and screened for the presence of keratinophilic fungi and related dermatophytes using hair-baiting technique. Fungi were identified using macro- and micro-morphological features.
Among them, 29 (20.6 % ) soil samples were positive. Seven species were isolated in the following order of dominance: Chrysosporium keratinophilum (48.3 % ), Microsporum gypseum?(41.4 % ), C.?tropicum (10.4 % ), C.?parvum (3.45 % ), C.?anamorph of Anixiopsis stercoraris (3.45 % ), C.?anamorph of Arthroderma cuniculi (3.45 % ) and Chaetomium sp. (3.45 % ). The association of M.?gypseum and C.?keratinophilum was detected in 13.8 % of positive soils. Sixty-nine percent of fungi were found in organic matter rich soil. Our results revealed a higher prevalence of keratinophilic fungi in the regions far from the sea (33.3 % ) than in those near the sea (11.1 % ) with a statistically significant difference (P = 0.001). All keratinophilic fungi were isolated from soils with pH ranging from 6.2 to 7.6.
Our study showed that keratinophilic fungi were present in the various soils of Djerba. They may represent a risk to human health.