Mycobiota of Ear Canals Associated with Recovered Individuals from Covid-19 and Vaccination Based on Molecular Techniques

Abstract

Background: The human body harbors diverse mycobiome and is often neglected as a potential cause of the disease and may network with various sites of the human body.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the fungal flora of ears of the recovered individuals from COVID-19 and its vaccination.

Methodology: The study involved 80 adults who attended Imam Hussain Hospital in Karbala, Iraq, between November 2022 and January 2023. COVID-19 antibody titers were measured in all participants. In addition, ear swab samples were collected and cultured for fungal isolation, followed by phenotypic and molecular identification, as well as sequence analysis of the isolated fungi.

Results: The COVID-19 Antibody Titer test was performed after collecting blood from the elbow veins of participants. Depending on the results of antibody titer, individuals were divided into four groups: recovered individuals who were infected and vaccinated, infected and not vaccinated, as well as not infected and vaccinated, and not infected and not vaccinated as controls. Specimens from the external ear canals of split participants were collected for fungal isolation. After applying molecular and morphological techniques for fungal identification, the results revealed that various mycobiota were distributed differently in the four study groups, with merely sharing four species were 28 fungal species and 60 strains were isolated from 160 ear swabs obtained from the external ear canals of 80 recovery individuals as well as controls.

Conclusion: This study first documents the post-COVID-19 ear mycobiota, adding 80 new sequences globally. Future mycobiota profiling in Iraq is vital to understand disease links, aiding management of upcoming pandemics and vaccine impacts.

Bangladesh Journal of Infectious Diseases, June 2026;13(1): 171-180