*2.1. Sample Collection*

The human-pathogenic fungal strains initially originated from 13 non-immunocompromised or non-immunosuppressed individuals with keratomycosis, and were acquired by courtesy of the hospital sta ff at "El Hospital para Prevenir la Ceguera en México, Luis Sánchez Bulnes" between January 2013 and August 2016. Patients were registered from nine states of Mexico with variable age and economic activity (Table 1). In addition, to isolate the potential causative agen<sup>t</sup> of keratitis, eye rub from infected eyes were taken with sterile hyssop and cultured on Sabouraud Dextrose Emmons agar medium agar (SGA; Difco, Detroit, MI, USA). Monoconidia cultures were obtained by serial dilution in Spezieller Nährsto ffarmer agar medium (SNA) with a 1-cm<sup>2</sup> filter paper at 37◦C, as described earlier [8]. Colonies were observed growing during the first 48–72 h. The species were identified morphologically on microculture, as in a previous study [22].


### **Table 1.** Profiles of keratitis patients.

Abbreviations used: DM: diabetes mellitus; pain+++: intense pain; Insidious: patient did not feel any trauma or damage. Patients did not have any immunodeficiencies. F: female; M: male.
