title: Thirty-four identifiable airborne fungal spores in Havana, Cuba.
abstract: The airborne fungal spore content in Havana, Cuba, collected by means a non-viable volumetric methodology, was studied from November 2010 - October 2011. The study, from a qualitative point of view, allowed the characterization of 29 genera and 5 fungal types, described following the Saccardo´s morphotypes, as well as their morphobiometrical characteristics. In the amerospores morphotype, the conidia of 7 genera (with ascospores, basidiospores and uredospores) and 5 fungal types were included. Among phragmospores morphotype, the ascospores and conidia of 12 different genera were identified. The dictyospores morphotype only included conidial forms from 6 genera. Finally, the less frequent morphotypes were staurospores, didymospores and distosepted spores. In general, the main worldwide spread mitosporic fungi also predominated in the Havana atmosphere, accompanied by some ascospores and basidiospores. Cladosporium cladosporioides type was the most abundant with a total of 148,717 spores, followed by Leptosphaeria, Coprinus and the Aspergillus-Penicillium type spores, all of them with total values ranging from 20,591 - 16,392 spores. The higher monthly concentrations were registered in January (31,663 spores) and the lowest in December (7,314 spores). Generally, the average quantity of spores recorded during the months of the dry season (20,599 spores) was higher compared with that observed during the rainy season (17,460 spores).
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Biology, University of Habana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Almaguer
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: María-Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Aira
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Vigo, Spain.
authors.forename: F Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Rajo
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Vigo, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Biology, University of Habana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Teresa I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Rojas-Flores
mesh_terms: D000391:Air Microbiology; D003462:Cuba; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012621:Seasons; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*