Mycoflora of the hospital; water, surface and air
Abstract
Background: Hospital indoor environments contain a wide variety of microorganisms. Bacteria, viruses, and fungi in these environments can cause serious healthcare-associated infections in patients. The aim of this study is to show the mycoflora of the hospital by evaluating the distribution of fungal species in hospital indoor air, water, and surfaces.
Methods: Air, water, and surface were sampled for fungi at Gazi University Hospital, using active air method, water collection, and swabbing, during a five-month period in 2022-2023. A total of 22 hospital wards were surveyed; overall, 110 air samples, 66 water samples, and 45 surface samples were collected.
Results: A total of 1331 fungal colonies were isolated from indoor air, predominantly Penicillium (57.7%) and Cladosporium (31.6%). From outdoor air (n = 471), Cladosporium (66.9%) and Penicillium (22.5%) were most common. Median colony counts per 500 L of air were 11.5 indoors and 30.0 outdoors (range: 4–21.1 and 9–55.6, respectively. Fungal diversity, as evaluated by the Shannon index, peaked in March for both environments. Fungal growth was observed in 17 of 66 water samples (26.0%), with a total of 225 colonies recovered. Penicillium spp. accounted for the majority (85.7%), followed by Exophiala (8.0%) and Aspergillus (5.0%).Among 45 surface samples, only 3 (6.0%) yielded fungal isolates, indicating low environmental fungal burden on high-touch surfaces.
Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that hospital environments, especially air and water sources, are significantly colonized by diverse fungal genera—predominantly Penicillium and Cladosporium—highlighting the importance of routine environmental mycological monitoring to mitigate potential nosocomial risks.
Keywords
Hospital, environmental sampling, fungi, contamination, mycoflora
Supporting Institution
There was no funding.
Ethical Statement
Ethical approval was obtained from Gazi University Ethics Committee on 09.03.2023/meeting no:4 (E-77082166-604.01.02-622780).
Thanks
Much appreciation to all people who participated in this study. We also acknowledge all members of Gazi University Infection Control Committee who contributed to the data collection. This study was presented as a poster at the 11th Trends in Medical Mycology (TIMM-11) congress.
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