The Occurrence of Microscopic Fungi in Air Samples from a Transplant Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Contamination of the air by fungi at the Transplant Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the University Hospital in Hradec KrálovÈ was investigated in 2004. Air samples were taken from the patient’s breathing zone in the single rooms, in the room used for drug preparation and from the air outside the hospital building. Air was sampled with Biotest RCS Plus air sampler and material collected on the yeasts and mould strips prepared with Rosa Bengal Streptomycin Agar. The majority of the air samples (64%) from the Transplant ICU were free of fungi. Only Cladosporium spp., Penicillium spp. and Mucor spp. were found though rarely with the load ranging from 2 to 26CFUám ³. No isolates of the opportunistic pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus strain were detected in the single rooms. In contrast, two outdoor samples were positive for this opportunistic mould.