title: Black yeasts-like fungi isolated from dialysis water in hemodialysis units.
abstract: Hemodialysis in patients with chronic renal failure promotes the removal of toxic substances, water, and minerals from the body and often takes place in specialized clinics. Microbial contamination of dialysis fluid is a serious problem in therapy. One of the sources of contamination is the water used to prepare the dialysate. In Brazil, legislation regulating the microbiological quality of water for dialysis does not cover waterborne microbes such as Pseudomonas, mycobacteria, and fungi. The aim of the present study was to quantify, isolate, and identify fungi present in water systems in six hemodialysis units in Curitiba, Paraná state, Brazil. Fungi were analyzed by surface plating and membrane filtration. Isolates were identified by morphology, while the dematiaceous fungi were identified by sequencing the rDNA ITS region. It was found that 66 % of the samples presented fungi, while black fungi were present in 46 % of all samples. Twenty-eight isolates from treated water for dialysis and dialysate were identified by sequencing and were found to be Exophiala pisciphila, E. cancerae, E. equina, and Rhinocladiella similis. The presence of dematiaceous fungi may pose a risk for debilitated hospitalized patients.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Post-Graduation Program, Basic Pathology Department, Federal University of Paraná State, Curitiba, Brazil.
authors.forename: Izabel Cristina
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Figel
authors.forename: Paulo Roberto Dantas
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Marangoni
authors.forename: Sabina Moser
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Tralamazza
authors.forename: Vânia Aparecida
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.forename: Patrícia do Rocio
authors.initials: Pdo R
authors.lastname: Dalzoto
authors.forename: Mariana Machado Fidelis
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: do Nascimento
authors.forename: G Sybren
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: de Hoog
authors.forename: Ida Chapaval
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Pimentel
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D001938:Brazil; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006436:Hemodialysis Units, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer