Prospective survey of indoor fungal contamination in hospital during a period of building construction

J Hosp Infect. 2007 Dec;67(4):367-73. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2007.09.013. Epub 2007 Nov 26.

Abstract

An 18-month survey of indoor fungal contamination was conducted in one haematology unit during a period of construction work. Air was sampled with a portable Air System Impactor and surfaces with contact Sabouraud plates. During this survey the mean concentration of viable fungi in air was 4.2 cfu/m(3) and that for surfaces was 1.7 cfu/plate. At the beginning of construction work, there were increases in airborne fungal spores (from 3.0 to 9.8 cfu/m(3)) in the unit, but concentrations did not exceed 10 cfu/m(3) during the 18-month period. The most frequently recovered airborne fungi were Penicillium spp. (27-38%), Aspergillus spp. (25%) and Bjerkandera adusta, a basidiomycete identified with molecular tools (7-12%). Blastomycetes accounted for more than 50% of the fungal flora on surfaces. Investigating the impact of a new air-treatment system (mobile Plasmair units), there were significant reductions in fungal contamination for the Plasmer -treated rooms, and in these rooms we observed the same level of fungal load whether construction work was in progress or not.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Air Conditioning / instrumentation*
  • Air Microbiology*
  • Air Pollution, Indoor / analysis*
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • Fungi / classification
  • Fungi / isolation & purification*
  • Hospital Design and Construction*
  • Humans
  • Infection Control / methods
  • Patients' Rooms
  • Prospective Studies
  • Ventilation