Scientific Electronic Archives (Nov 2016)
AIRBORNE FUNGI ISOLATED IN A PRIVATE HOSPITAL OF SINOP-MT, BRAZIL
Abstract
Fungi are organisms that can be found dispersed in the environment and in the atmospheric air. They interact with humans, animals and plants, and they may represent risks to human health.Therefore, this study aimed to identify and isolate airborne fungi in a private hospital in the municipality of Sinop, MT, from adult and neonatal intensive care units, surgery center and their doorknobs and phones. The study was carried out in May 2014, after asepsis of the sectors chosen. For the collection of fungi in the air, 75 Petri dishes (25 for each sector) containing Sabouraud agar with chloramphenicol were exposed for 10 minutes. We collected samples of doorknobs and phones using swabs. The samples were stored in test tubes containing a 0.1% saline solution and then spread on plates with PDA medium supplemented with penicillin.The plates were incubated for 7 days at 25°C.The identification of airborne fungi was based on the association of macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of primary cultures. We identified 18 genera of filamentous fungi, and the highest colonization rates were found in the doorknobs and phones. The airborne fungi found in the evaluated sectors should be a warning to the hospital users, since these individuals can be considered the main disseminators of these fungi in hospital environments.
