AIRBORNE FUNGAL FLORA IN THE HOSPITAL AND HOMES OF ASTHMATIC CHILDREN

Abstract

Airborne fungal flora in the hospital and 4 homes of hospitalized asthmatic childen were examined using a slit sampler. The indoor airborne fungal flora detected on the potato dextrose agar medium (PDA) was different from that detected from the outdoor air samples. Some kinds of fungi were fuond only in the indoor air samples. The average number of fungal colonies in the indoor air samples from homes (42.1) was higher than that in the indoor ones from the hospital (18.6) (p<0.001). One patient had often had attacks when he came home. One of the reasons for these attacks was supposed to be due to his exposure to more fungal elements in the home than in the hospital. The prevalence of an osmophilic fungus Wallemia sebi was studied: 5.1% of all indoor fungal colonies and 3.0% of all outdoor ones were detected on the dichroran glycerol agar medium (DG18), while 0.09% of all indoor fungal colonies and none from outdoor ones were detected on the PDA.
Airborne fungal flora in 25 homes of non-asthmatic children was examined using the DG18 to detect osmophilic fungi. In the indoor air samples, Cladosporium had the highest incidence, followed by Penicillium, Alternaria, yeasts, Epicoccum and Aspergillus. W. sebi was the seventh most prevalent in the indoor air samples and the eleventh in the outdoor ones. The incidence of W. sebi in the 25 homes was significantly higher in the indoor air samples than in the outdoor ones (χ²test p<0.01). It was suggested that W. sebi and other osmophilic fungi might be predominant in the indoor air.