Abstract: Objective To compare the carriage of dematiaceous fungi in wild toads from both endemic area and non-epidemic area of chromoblastomycosis.Methods A total of 354 and 45 wild toads(Bufo Chinese)were caught from two counties of Shandong Province,Zhangqiu county,an endemic area of chromoblastomycosis,and from Laiyang county,an area where the infection of dematiaceous fungi in humans has not been found,respectively.The toads were killed and the suspension of the internal organs were used to isolate dematiaceous fungi.Results Eleven species including 162 strains of dematiaceous fungi were isolated from 151 of 354(42.7%) toads from the endemic area.The isolated strains consisted of 49 Phialophora verrucosa,33 Exsophiala,19 Phialophora(nonpathogenic),19 E.jenselmei,12 Cladosporium carrionii,3 suspected of C.carrionii,7 Rhinocladiella sp.,5 Fonsecaea pedrosoi,4 C.trichoides,3 E.spinifera,1 C.minourae,4unidentified.Only 4 nonpathogenic dematiaceous fungi were isolated from 4 of 45(8.9%) toads obtained from non-epidemic area.Conclusions Varieties of pathogenic dematiaceous fungi,especially C.carrionii,are isolated from wild toads in endemic area of chromoblastomycosis,while none from non-endemic area.The results suggest that the colonization of pathogenic dematiaceous fungi in wild toads may be associated with endemicity of chromoblastomycosis.

Key words: Mitosoporic fungi, Bufonidae