Fluconazole resistant pathogenic yeasts isolated from plastic debris on recreational public beaches in West and East Africa

Plastic pollution in the environment becomes rapidly colonised by microbial communities, which often contain human bacterial pathogens. However, there is a lack of information about the interaction of fungal pathogens with plastic debris, particularly in marine environments. This study screened common plastic wastes collected from a range of recreational public and tourist beaches in Nigeria and Tanzania for colonisation by human pathogenic yeasts. Isolates were identified on selective media with confirmation by ITS sequencing. All beaches and all plastic polymer types were colonised by at least one species of human pathogenic yeast, with Candida tropicalis being the most frequently isolated species across both countries. Importantly, most of these pathogenic yeast isolates showed some level of resistance to fluconazole, which in Africa is the most commonly prescribed anti-fungal drug. Therefore, due to the high potential for human skin exposure at beach environments, plastic debris could pose a significant public health risk.