[Isolation of several species of the genus Aspergillus from soil of intrahospital ornamental plants]

Rev Med Chil. 1994 Dec;122(12):1367-71.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

The earth of ornamental plants is one of the main reservoirs of Aspergillus type of fungi in hospital areas. We studied 174 ornamental interior plants from a hospital at Santiago. Samples were obtained from the soil surface and sowed in Sabouraud-glucose agar, adding streptomycin and G-penicillin. After 72 h of culture, at least one strain of Aspergillus was isolated from 140 samples (80.5%). The most frequently isolated strain was A fumigatus (129 samples), followed by A niger (75 samples). A fumigatus and A niger were the only isolated strains in 65 and 11 samples respectively. These findings confirm that ornamental plants can be important reservoirs of Aspergillus strains, a potential infectious agent for immunocompromised patients, in hospital areas.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Aspergillus / isolation & purification*
  • Chile
  • Hospitals*
  • Plants
  • Soil Microbiology*