Research Article

Mycoflora of the hospital; water, surface and air

Volume: 7 Number: 1 January 31, 2026
Elif Ayça Şahin *, Sidre Erganiş , Halil Furkan Martlı , Beyza Yavuz , Sena Algın , Doç. Dr. Özlem Güzel Tunçcan , Murat Dizbay , Kayhan Çağlar , Hasan Bostancı , Ayşe Kalkancı
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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

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Clinical Microbiology

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Publication Date

January 31, 2026

Submission Date

April 16, 2025

Acceptance Date

August 6, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 7 Number: 1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.47482/acmr.1675216

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA77PZ32TZ

Cite

RIS / Bibtex
APA
Şahin, E. A., Erganiş, S., Martlı, H. F., Yavuz, B., Algın, S., Güzel Tunçcan, D. D. Ö., Dizbay, M., Çağlar, K., Bostancı, H., & Kalkancı, A. (2026). Mycoflora of the hospital; water, surface and air. Archives of Current Medical Research, 7(1), 127-136. https://doi.org/10.47482/acmr.1675216

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