Investigation of the Vaginal and Clitoral Fungi in One-Humped Camels (Camelus Dromedarius)

Background: Bacteria and fungi constitute crucial parts of the genital tract microenvironment and participate in mucosal homeostasis. While the genital tract microflora has been studied for several animal species, this is not true for the one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius). Objectives: This survey aims to investigate the prevalence of vaginal and clitoral fungi in one-humped camels (C. dromedarius ) from different regions of Iran. Methods: Dairy camel farms were sampled in Khorasan Razavi, Semnan, Tehran, Qom, and Isfahan Provinces in central and northeast Iran. Two hundred and twenty paired samples were taken from the vaginal and clitoral mucosa of 110 camels and cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar and CHROMagarTM Candida, followed by identification of cultured fungi. Data were analyzed using the Genmod procedure. Results: Six isolates were identified. Fungi were cultured and isolated from 31% of the camels. Cladosporium spp. and Aspergillus flavus were the most isolated prevalent. Aspergillus was the most frequently recovered species. The presence of fungi was evaluated in camels of different ages, but no correlation was observed (P>0.05). Conclusion: Fungal contamination of the camel's external organs of the reproductive system is very low compared to other domestic animals. It is likely due to the intrinsic immunity of one-humped camel (C. dromedarius).