Fungal diversity and Aspergillus species in hospital environments.
OBJECTIVE
Nosocomial invasive fungal infections, particularly aspergillosis, are an increasing problem in immunocompromised patients. The presented study evaluates fungal diversity and the presence of Aspergillus in air samples from two hospitals.


METHODS
Over the course of one year (rainy and dry seasons), the air was sampled from three areas in two hospitals (1 and 2) using a single-stage Andersen viable particle sampler (Thermo Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA). The fungi were identified by macro- and micromorphology, and the number of colony forming units (CFU)/m(3) air and their richness, abundance, and diversity were determined. Isolates Aspergillus genus were characterized by their thermotolerance.


RESULTS
The CFU/m(3) air was similar at both hospitals during the two seasons, but different between the sampled areas. Results showed 10 fungal genera for hospital 1, and 8 for hospital 2. The most abundant were Penicillium, Cladosporium and Aspergillus. The thermotolerance test confirmed the identification of A. fumigatus section Fumigati. The highest growth rate was found in Aspergillus section Nigri.


CONCLUSIONS
Determining the fungal diversity in the two hospitals was important because all the species have the potential to be pathogenic, especially the section Fumigati.
Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco, México.
Erick Obed
EO
Martínez-Herrera
División de Investigación, Hospital Juárez de México. Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México.
María Guadalupe
MG
Frías De-León
Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico.
Esperanza
E
Duarte-Escalante
Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico.
María Del Carmen
Mdel C
Calderón-Ezquerro
Unidad de Investigación, Instituto de Oftalmología "Fundación de Asistencia Privada Conde de Valenciana, IAP", México; Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico.
María Del Carme
Mdel C
Jiménez-Martínez
Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado, Mexico.
Gustavo
G
Acosta-Altamirano
Departamento el Hombre y su Ambiente, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco, México.
Facundo
F
Rivera-Becerril
Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico.
Conchita
C
Toriello
Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico.
María Del Rocío
Mdel R
Reyes Montes
D000391:Air Microbiology; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006761:Hospitals; D008800:Mexico; D012621:Seasons