[Prevalence of mycelial fungi in hematological hospital].

AIM: To study prevalence, quantity and species of mycelial fungi in the air of a hematological hospital.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Air samples in the hematological departments were taken monthly by PU-1B device in the volume 250 l/min. Seeding and identification of mycelial fungi were made on the Chapeck medium.

RESULTS: Tests for mycelial fungi in the air was 95%. Dominating species were the following: Penicillium spp., Cladosporium spp., Aspergillus spp. The fungal contamination was seasonal. Maximal isolation of Penicillium spp was seen in winter and autumn. Aspergillus spp. is represented with 13 species of which most frequent were A.versicolor, A. niger, A. fumigatus, A. ochraceus, A. flavus. Pathological material from 19 patients contained Aspergillus spp.: A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. niger. The isolation peak was in autumn-winter and coincided with maximal isolation of fungal spores from the air. The analysis of air samples taken in the wards where patients had Aspergillus spp. in biomaterials showed that concentration of spores Aspergillus spp. was higher than in nearby wards and corridor: 45.6 CFU/M3 vs 18.8 CFU/m3 and 24.7 CFU/M3, respectively. However, morphologically identical strains (patient-air) were recognized only in 4 cases from the nearby wards and corridor. None of the air samples taken in the ward of the patient contained identical species. Minimal amount of the spores of micromycetes was registered in the wards furnished with ventilation with laminar air flow. Most contaminated was the air of 4 bed wards in the old building.

CONCLUSION: Mycological monitoring of the air in hematological departments determined the structure of mycelial fungi complexes. Though ambient air in the wards is full of fungi, detection of morphologically identical strains causing invasive mycosis in immunocompromised patients is rare. Further studies are necessary.