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New study finds emerging pathogen inside brown locusts

17 February 2025 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Supplied

Prof Carolina Pohl-Albertyn — Prof Carlien Pohl-Albertyn is the NRF SARChI Research Chair in Pathogenic Yeasts at the UFS.

A new study by researchers from the University of the Free State (UFS), the National Health Laboratory Service, and the University of Venda has confirmed for the first time that common brown locusts are carriers of pathogenic yeasts that can cause severe infections in humans – especially in people with compromised immune systems or who are seriously ill.

The study, ‘South African brown locusts, Locustana pardalina, hosts fluconazole resistant, Candidozyma (Candida) auris (Clade III)’, highlights for the first time the presence of the pathogenic (disease-producing) fungal yeast C. auris in the digestive tract of the locusts, and shows their potential in disseminating this emerging pathogen. The research started in April 2022, when 20 gregarious (swarming) adult locusts were collected during a large locust outbreak which occurred from September 2021 to May 2022 in the semi-arid Eastern Karoo region in the Eastern Cape. The study is still under peer review.

According to Prof Carlien Pohl-Albertyn, National Research Foundation (NRF) SARChI Research Chair in Pathogenic Yeasts, three C. auris strains were isolated from three different adult locusts, two of which also harboured strains of another potentially pathogenic yeast, Candida orthopsilosis. “The fact that we were able to isolate C. auris from 15% of the sampled locusts, using non-selective media and a non-restrictive temperature of 30°C, may indicate that C. auris is abundant in the locusts and that specific selective isolation is not mandatory,” Prof Pohl-Albertyn said.

“Interestingly, C. auris was isolated from the fore- and hindgut of the locusts. Isolation from the foregut, which is dedicated to food intake and storage, filtering and partial digestion, indicates that C. auris was probably obtained by the locusts via feeding activities. Isolation from the hindgut confirms that C. auris can survive the digestive processes in the midgut and is likely to be released back into the environment via faeces.”

Healthy humans are not at great risk

One of the C. auris strains was studied in more detail. This strain was not resistant to disinfectants but showed decreased susceptibility to the common antifungal drug fluconazole. This is a characteristic of this yeast species and thus not surprising. Most of the emerging pathogenic yeasts show this intrinsic resistance. This highlights the urgent need to discover and develop new antifungal drugs.

Prof Pohl-Albertyn, also a Professor of Microbiology in the UFS Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry, says, “Healthy humans are not at great risk for infection by this yeast and there is currently no proof that ingestion may be harmful to them. This is unfortunately not the case for people with compromised immune systems or who are seriously ill. However, few susceptible people come into direct contact with the locusts in South Africa.”

She added that there are treatment options available, using other antifungal drugs, but C. auris can become resistant to all the currently available antifungal drugs.

Importance of the study

“The fact that locusts are a food source for other animals, such as birds, could lead to eventual distribution of the yeast to people. In other countries, wild locusts are a food source for humans and there more direct transmission may be possible,” Prof Pohl-Albertyn said.

She explained that this study tries to answer questions regarding the natural hosts of this emerging pathogen and how it may facilitate the spread of the pathogen to the rest of the environment. The study is one part of the puzzle regarding how new pathogens may emerge from the environment and spread to people.

“One of the questions in the field of pathogenic yeasts is how C. auris was able to emerge as a pathogen in several different countries in a relatively short period. It is well known as a hospital-acquired pathogen, but it is not known where in the environment it occurs naturally, and which environmental factors may have shaped its evolution and ability to cause human infections. This has implications for the prevention of the spread of this specific yeast species, as well as our preparedness for new pathogenic yeasts that may be emerging from the environment.”

News Archive

Central SRC constitution for UFS approved by Council

2005-07-20

University of the Free State Fact Sheet

1. The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) on 10 June 2005 unanimously approved the establishment of a Central Student Representative Council (CSRC) to constitute a legitimate basis for the democratic participation of students of all three of its campuses in the governance of the university.

2. In a major breakthrough and transformation step for student governance, the Central SRC will include representatives of the main campus in Bloemfontein, the Vista Bloemfontein campus and the Qwaqwa campus of the UFS.

3. The need to establish the Central SRC follows the incorporation of the Qwaqwa campus into the UFS in January 2003 and the incorporation of the Vista campus in Bloemfontein into the UFS in January 2004.

4. The constitution of the Central SRC is the outcome of a consensus reached during a lengthy process of negotiation between the SRCs of the three UFS campuses, indirectly involving diverse student formations such as Sasco, ANCYL, YCL, Pasma, SASO, SADESMO, AZASCO, SCO, HEREXVII, KovsieAlliance, ACDP, etc. Independent constitutional and political experts facilitated key parts of the negotiation process.

5. In this process, the UFS management went out of its way to ensure the participation of all student formations, especially Sasco and the ANC Youth League, as well as the duly elected SRC officials of the three campuses.

6. With the establishment of a Central SRC, the UFS has adopted a federal student governance model whereby the CSRC is the highest representative student body on matters of common concern for all students. The three campuses of the UFS will retain SRC structures for each campus with powers and responsibilities for matters affecting the particular campus.

7. The central SRC will have 12 members made up of delegates of the different campus SRCs, including the presidents of these three SRCs. In total, the main campus will have 5 representatives, the Qwaqwa campus will have 4 representatives and the Vista campus will have 3 representatives. This ratio ensures a strong voice for the smaller campuses in the central SRC.

8. This arrangement will be reviewed after a year to make allowance for the phasing out of undergraduate (pipeline) students at the Vista campus, as was agreed in the negotiations preceding the incorporation of that campus into the UFS.

9. From these 12 members a central SRC president will be chosen on a quarterly basis to represent the general student body at Executive Management, Senate and Council.

10. The historic official inauguration of the first Central SRC is scheduled to take place in early August 2005.

11. This event, like the adoption of a broadly negotiated new constitution for the main campus SRC, represents a breakthrough in that all three campus SRCs delegations and all relevant student organizations have been part of the process and have accepted the outcome of the process.

20 July 2005

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