title: [Isolation of filamentous fungi from water used in a hemodialysis unit].
abstract: Despite the relative frequency of opportunistic fungal infections among hemodialysis patients, the reservoirs for these microorganisms in the environment remain unknown, although some recent studies have made correlations with the water supply as their source. The objective of the present study was to monitor the mycological quality of the water system of a hemodialysis unit in the interior of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, over the period from April to July 2006. Fifteen samples of 1000 ml were collected from seven water distribution points using the membrane filtration technique (0.45 microm). A total of 116 filamentous fungus specimens were isolated, including 47 Trichoderma sp (40.5%), 29 Cladosporium sp (25%), 16 Aspergillus sp (13.8%) and 11 Fusarium sp (9.5%). The results suggest that the water supply for hemodialysis units should also be monitored for mycological contamination, and that effective prophylactic measures should be adopted for minimizing the exposure of these immunodeficient patients to contaminated water sources in the environment.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisa em Microbiologia Aplicada, Universidade de Franca, Franca, SP.
authors.forename: Samuel Dutra
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Varo
authors.forename: Carlos Henrique Gomes
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Miguel Jorge de Oliveira
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Flávio Garcia
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Sartori
authors.forename: Lílian Bueno
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Montanari
authors.forename: Regina Helena
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Pires-Gonçalves
mesh_terms: D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015312:Hemodialysis Solutions / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D015312:Hemodialysis Solutions