Study of Keratinophilic Fungi Isolated from Nagaur (Rajasthan, India) Soil

This study investigates the presence of keratinophilic fungi in soil of Nagaur district of Rajasthan, India.Most of the people of Nagaur district of Rajasthan are involved in animal husbandry and farming, which make them prone to fungal infection due to soil contact.Rising incidents of skin-related fungal infections necessitate the study of the presence of keratinophilic fungi in the Nagaur district.In the present study, keratinophilic fungi were isolated using hair bait technique.In this technique, different hair baits were used such as pigeon feather, hen feather, human hair and goat hair.A total of 75 soil samples were collected from different areas of Nagaur district.Out of 75 soil samples, 52 samples were found positive for keratinophilic fungi.Most of them were isolated from soil with the pH range of 6-10.The results showed the presence of keratinophilic fungi in the soil of Nagaur district which can pose risk to public health.