Analysis of fungal microbiota of ambient air in an intensive care unit in Rio Branco, Acre, Western Amazon, Brazil

Abstract

Fungi exhibit three adverse effects on human health: inflammatory, allergic and toxic effects, these implications affect mainly immunodepressed patients. The objective of this work was to analyze the fungal microbiota of the ambient air of an Intensive Care Unit. Three collections were carried out in an Intensive Care Unit in the city of Rio Branco, Acre, Western Amazon, Brazil from March to May 2017. 126 Petri dishes were exposed with the culture medium Agar Sabouraud with chloramphenicol and Agar Mycosel, considering the distribution of the 21 air conditioners, split residential model. The plates were incubated for seven days at room temperature and the growth of Colony Forming Units was observed. Colony counting and isolation for the morphological characterization of the granted fungi was performed. After quantification, the concentration of fungi per cubic meters of air (CFU.m-3) was settled. The third collection had a larger number of colony forming units with 48.6%. In the total of the analyzed samples, filamentous fungi (85.5%) and yeasts (14.5%) were isolated. Thirteen genera of fungi were identified, with the most frequent filaments being Cladosporium spp. 33.0%, Aspergillus spp. 30.4% and Penicillium spp. 19.6%, and yeasts Candida spp. 52.6%, Trichosporon spp. 36.9%. The colony-forming unit per cubic meter (CFU.m-3) did not shown any difference between the Cores in the same collection period, however in the 1st and 3rd collection, Core 1 had the highest average. The fungal microbiota of this Unit presented thirteen different genera potentially pathogenic, revealing the need for monitoring microorganisms and prevention actions.