Edible dates (Phoenix dactylifera), a potential source of Cladosporium cladosporioides and Sporobolomyces roseus: implications for public health.

Edible dates (Phoenix dactylifera) were examined for the presence of endogenous yeasts and filimentous fungi. Mean counts of fungi were 530 colony forming units (cfu) per gram of fruit, representing a mixture of two phenotypic colony types. Subsequent DNA extraction and PCR amplification of these two morphotypes yielded an amplicon of approximately 350 bp with the 5.8S-28S rRNA ITS region. Sequence analysis identified these to be Cladosporium cladosporioides (230 cfu/g) and Sporobolomyces roseus. Both organisms have been previously reported in opportunistic infections involving skin or in immunocompromised patients. This is the first report of edible dates being a source of these organisms and we emphasize the importance of the common practice of washing hands following the consumption of these fruits by hand.