Microbial Exposures in Schools and Daycare Centers

Täubel, Martin; Leppänen, Hanna

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-61688-9_12

Cited by 5 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 91 publications

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“…While patterns in microbial communities were similar between A. alfari nests and human homes, there were two key exceptions: (1) the setting in which developing ant brood live, and (2) the fate of abandoned rooms/chambers. Human young tend to spend large portions of time in daycares that are dominated by bodily microbiota, many of which can be pathogenic [63,64]. By contrast, ant 'nurseries' (brood chambers) demonstrated diminished levels of potentially pathogenic fungi and lower levels of bacterial richness overall.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Azteca ants maintain unique microbiomes across functionally distinct nest chambers

et al. 2019

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The microbiome of built structures has considerable influence over an inhabitant's well-being, yet the vast majority of research has focused on human-built structures. Ants are well-known architects, capable of constructing elaborate dwellings, the microbiome of which is underexplored. Here, we explore the bacterial and fungal microbiomes in functionally distinct chambers within and outside the nests of Azteca alfari ants in Cecropia peltata trees. We predicted that A. alfari colonies (1) maintain distinct microbiomes within their nests compared to the surrounding environment, (2) maintain distinct microbiomes among nest chambers used for different functions, and (3) limit both ant and plant pathogens inside their nests. In support of these predictions, we found that internal and external nest sampling locations had distinct microbial communities, and A. alfari maintained lower bacterial richness in their ‘nurseries’. While putative animal pathogens were suppressed in chambers that ants actively inhabited, putative plant pathogens were not, which does not support our hypothesis that A. alfari defends its host trees against microbial antagonists. Our results show that ants influence microbial communities inside their nests similar to studies of human homes. Unlike humans, ants limit the bacteria in their nurseries and potentially prevent the build-up of insect-infecting pathogens. These results highlight the importance of documenting how indoor microbiomes differ among species, which might improve our understanding of how to promote indoor health in human dwellings.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Azteca ants maintain unique microbiomes across functionally distinct nest chambers

et al. 2019

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“…Findings of higher concentrations of airborne fungi in summer and higher concentrations of dustborne fungi during winter were expected taking into account natural ventilation and influence of outdoor sources during summer as well as heating, poor ventilation, and the concentration of indoor dust during the winter in both villages. 27 Although sampling in Gunja was performed two and three years after the flood and major repair, the results of the screening of quantitative airborne and dustborne mycobiota indicate that the residents in the flooded village were still exposed to higher concentrations of indoor and outdoor fungi than the inhabitants of the control village. As a number of houses were still not repaired in the time of the present study, fungal contamination of unoccupied UHG may have contributed to the levels of fungi in outdoors in Gunja.…”

Section: Composition Of Airborne and Dustborne Mycobiotamentioning

confidence: 99%

Fungi and their secondary metabolites in water‐damaged indoors after a major flood event in eastern Croatia

et al. 2020

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In winter and summer of 2016 and 2017, airborne fungi and house dust were collected in indoors of the village Gunja, which had been flooded, and the control village Gornji Stupnik (Croatia) in order to explore variations of fungal indoor levels, particularly Aspergilli section Nidulantes series Versicolores, as well as fungal metabolites in dust. Levels of airborne Aspergilli (Versicolores) were three times as high in winter and summer in Gunja than in the control village, while dustborne isolates were equally present in both locations. Sequencing of the calmodulin gene region revealed that among Aspergilli (Versicolores), A. jensenii and A. creber were dominant and together with A. puulaauensis, A. tennesseensis and A. venenatus produced sterigmatocystin and 5-methoxysterigmatocystin (HPLC coupled with mass spectrometry); A. amoenus, A. fructus, A. griseoaurantiacus, A. pepii, and A. protuberus produced sterigmatocystin but not 5-methoxysterigmatocystin; A. sydowii did not produce any of these toxins. A total of 75 metabolites related to Penicillium (29), Aspergillus (22), Fusarium (10), Alternaria (5), Stachybotrys (2), and other fungi (7) were detected in dust by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The majority of metabolites including sterigmatocystin and 5-methoxysterigmatocystin exhibited a higher prevalence in winter in Gunja.

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“…Moreover, pupils are considered to be a vulnerable population and are more susceptible to the effects of air pollution 4 . While many studies have examined microbial exposures in school buildings and respiratory health, fewer have done so in the context of water damage status of those buildings 5 . The prevalence of moisture damage and indoor dampness in school buildings is not well known but may be as high as those estimated for the overall building stock, 6 which is thought to be between 10% and 50% 3,6,7 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4 While many studies have examined microbial exposures in school buildings and respiratory health, fewer have done so in the context of water damage status of those buildings. 5 The prevalence of moisture damage and indoor dampness in school buildings is not well known but may be as high as those estimated for the overall building stock, 6 which is thought to be between 10% and 50%. 3,6,7 While microbial factors are thought to contribute significantly to adverse health effects observed in occupants of moisture-damaged buildings, the quest to find actual causative agents and to clarify underlying mechanisms is ongoing.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial exposures in moisture‐damaged schools and associations with respiratory symptoms in students: A multi‐country environmental exposure study

et al. 2021

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Moisture‐damaged buildings are associated with respiratory symptoms and underlying diseases among building occupants, but the causative agent(s) remain a mystery. We first identified specific fungal and bacterial taxa in classrooms with moisture damage in Finnish and Dutch primary schools. We then investigated associations of the identified moisture damage indicators with respiratory symptoms in more than 2700 students. Finally, we explored whether exposure to specific taxa within the indoor microbiota may explain the association between moisture damage and respiratory health. Schools were assessed for moisture damage through detailed inspections, and the microbial composition of settled dust in electrostatic dustfall collectors was determined using marker‐gene analysis. In Finland, there were several positive associations between particular microbial indicators (diversity, richness, individual taxa) and a respiratory symptom score, while in the Netherlands, the associations tended to be mostly inverse and statistically non‐significant. In Finland, abundance of the Sphingomonas bacterial genus and endotoxin levels partially explained the associations between moisture damage and symptom score. A few microbial taxa explained part of the associations with health, but overall, the observed associations between damage‐associated individual taxa and respiratory health were limited.

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Microbial Exposures in Schools and Daycare Centers

Cited by 5 publications

References 91 publications

Azteca ants maintain unique microbiomes across functionally distinct nest chambers

Azteca ants maintain unique microbiomes across functionally distinct nest chambers

Fungi and their secondary metabolites in water‐damaged indoors after a major flood event in eastern Croatia

Microbial exposures in moisture‐damaged schools and associations with respiratory symptoms in students: A multi‐country environmental exposure study

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