Fungal Contamination in the Different Wards of Two Educational Hospitals in Qazvin City

Abstract

Background: The hospital environment is a suitable habitat for the growth of various microorganisms, especially mold fungi. The dispersal of fungal spores can lead to serious infections in immunocompromised patients. Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate airborne fungi in indoor environment of two educational hospitals (A and B) in Qazvin city, Iran. Methods: Sampling was performed using Quick Take 30 at an airflow rate of 28.3 L/min. We collected and cultured 165 indoor hospital air samples. The number and types of fungal colonies were identified using morphological characteristics. T-test and one-way ANOVA tests were run by SPSS version 22.0 for data analysis. Results: The mean of the total fungal bioaerosols in the two hospitals was 82.27 CFU/m3. The highest and the lowest levels of airborne fungal were observed in the emergency ward (108 CFU/m3) and operating room (34.2 CFU/m3), respectively. Aspergillus spp. (30.3%) was the most frequently found fungi, followed by Cladosporium spp. (21.3%), Penicillium spp. (19%), Alternaria spp. (13.3%), Mucor (6.5%), and other fungi (9.5%). Among the isolated species of Aspergillus, A. niger (45%) was the commonest species, followed by A. flavus (33.5%), and A. fumigatus (14.5%). Conclusions: The dispersion of fungal spores in the indoor air of hospital can facilitate the transmission of infectious agents in the hospital as a risk factor. Therefore, control measures should be taken to upgrade the ventilation system, disinfect surfaces and equipment, and limiting the movement of personnel and companions to reduce the risk of infection in health staff and patients.