Conditionally pathogenic fungi in recreational waters

Abstract

The improvement of health and life conditions depends on various environmental factors. The exposition to organic and inorganic pollutants, as well as to the broad spectar of microorganisms is one of these factors. Medically important fungi have been increasing their number recently especially in urban and in recreational zones. Some of them, first of all molds and yeasts, are involved by different means in causing more or less serious diseases of man and animals. Frequency of alergic symptoms and human mycotic lesions increased significantly during last decades. Such phenomena have provoked more scientific attention recently. According to the available literature data, micro-fungi, causing mycoses and "environmental" fungi too could be considered as an important factor of health risk, being neglected and underestimated so far, especially in analyses of safe use of recreational waters and surrounding areas, among them swimming pools, river and sea beaches. On the basis of such statement there arises conclusion that water and ground of recreational zones could serve as vectors in transmission pathways of potentially or conditionally pathogenic fungi, being dangerous especially for immunocompromised individuals, which suggests inclusion of qualitative and quantitative composition of fungal community into a continual monitoring of hygienic status of recreational zones

Pathogenic fungi: An unacknowledged risk at coastal resorts? New insights on microbiological sand quality in Portugal

“…Development of quality of life and health of the population is a complex function of different conditions of the living environment. Exposure to organic and inorganic pollutants as well as to the wide spectrum of microorganisms is part of this problem (Matavulj et al, 2005). Potentially pathogenic microorganisms in sands include faecal bacteria as found in the water but also mycological agents including fungi, yeasts and moulds (Vieira et al, 2001;Mancini et al, 2004;Abdallah et al, 2005;Sato et al, 2005;Gomes et al, 2007).…”

“…Potentially pathogenic microorganisms in sands include faecal bacteria as found in the water but also mycological agents including fungi, yeasts and moulds (Vieira et al, 2001;Mancini et al, 2004;Abdallah et al, 2005;Sato et al, 2005;Gomes et al, 2007). Several American (Vieira et al, 2001;Sato et al, 2005;Gomes et al, 2007) and European studies (Brandão et al, 2002;Mancini et al, 2004;Abdallah et al, 2005;Matavulj et al, 2005) have been performed on this issue and although the World Health Organisation report considered sand contamination it made no recommendations as to standards, neither do they feature in current European or US legislation.…”

Detection of Microbiological Content in Water as Indicator of Its Ecological State − Mini‐Review

“…Domestic wastewater is the source of microbial pathogens, wherein survival of total coliforms (TC), fecal coliforms, and fecal streptococci in groundwater was demonstrated over a 70 day period . Swimming pools and recreational reservoirs were shown to be potential sources of infectious fungi .…”

“…The list of microorganisms associated with pathogenic outbreaks should be supplemented with representatives of bacterial genera: Acinetobacter , Aeromonas , Bacillus , Campylobacter , Burkholderia pseudomallei , Legionella , Klebsiella , E. coli , Salmonella , etc. and fungal genera: Penicillium , Aspergillus , Peniophora , Cladosporium , Rhodosporidium , Aureobasidium , Fusarium , and Candida .…”

Phyllosphere of Submerged Plants in Bathing Lakes as a Reservoir of Fungi—Potential Human Pathogens

“…The constant presence of potentially pathogenic microfungi in the surface waters of bathing lakes, revealed by monitoring conducted by these and other authors [3,4,[19][20][21] and fragmentary reports concerning their presence in the aquatic plant phyllosphere encouraged us to take up a study of this ecological niche. The aim of the study was to determine whether the littoral zone in the immediate vicinity of bathing sites, with no disease symptoms, retains potentially pathogenic yeast on the phyllosphere surface and to what extent the species composition of microfungi in the phyllosphere and in surface waters is similar.…”