title: Preliminary study of the fungal ecology at the haematology and medical-oncology ward in Bamako, Mali.
abstract: Data on fungal epidemiology in sub-Saharan African countries are scarce. This exploratory study aimed to characterize the fungal flora at the Onco-Haematology ward of the National Teaching Hospital of Point G in Bamako, Mali. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the dry and in the rainy seasons. Nasal swab and sputum samples were collected from the hospitalized patients while airborne fungal spores were collected using electrostatic dust-fall collectors. Fungi were identified by their morphological characteristics and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Candida albicans was the most frequent yeast species colonizing patients; Aspergillus species were isolated in 86 % of the patients and were the main airborne environmental contaminants. Overall, airborne fungal contamination rates increased from 33.8 % in the dry to 66.2 % in the rainy season (p < 0.001). The most frequent Aspergillus species were Aspergillus niger (36.6 %) and Aspergillus flavus (32.92 %). In contrast, Aspergillus fumigatus (5.43 %) was relatively rare. This high level of fungal exposure raises concern regarding the management of at-risk patients in this Onco-Haematology ward and stresses the need for strengthening the mycological diagnostic capacities to accompany the implementation of adapted fungal infection prevention and management policies.
authors.affiliation: Département d'Epidémiologie des Affections Parasitaires/Malaria Research and Training Centre, Faculté de Médecine et d'Odontostomatologie, USTTB, BP 1805, Bamako, Mali.
authors.forename: Safiatou
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Niaré-Doumbo
authors.forename: Anne Cécile
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Normand
authors.forename: Yacouba Lazarre
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Diallo
authors.forename: Abdoul Karim
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Dembelé
authors.forename: Mahamadou A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Thera
authors.forename: Dapa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Diallo
authors.forename: Renaud
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piarroux
authors.forename: Ogobara
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Doumbo
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ranque
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000391:Air Microbiology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005658:Fungi / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006405:Hematology; D006748:Hospital Departments; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008302:Mali; D008495:Medical Oncology; D008828:Microbiological Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D009181:Mycoses / Q000382:microbiology*; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*; D055815:Young Adult