Iran Occupational Health

Background and aims: bio-aerosols in indoor air of hospital wards are significant harmful factor for human health and play important role on nosocomial infections. Therefore, diversity and concentration of fungal bio-aerosols in indoor air of Imam Khomeini and Alavi hospital have been investigated in this study.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2 educational hospitals of Ardabil city in 2016. ZTHV02 sampler and sabarose dextrose agar along with chloramphenicol antibiotic were used to evaluate and determine the airborne fungal concentrations. Culture slide technique was applied to diagnose fungi and the colonies density was reported based on CFU/m³.

Results: Mean fungi concentrations were 52.42 and 43.4 CFU/m³ in Emam and Alavi hospitals, respectively. Nursing station of dialysis ward in Imam Khomeini Hospital and vaginal delivery room and inpatient room of men urology and neurology in Alavi hospital had the highest fungal infection load. On the other hand the least fungal infection load were observed in dialysis and emergency respiratory isolation wards of Imam Khomeini and ICU in Alavi hospitals. The most prevalent fungi species isolated from air samples of Emam hospital was penicilium followed by Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus, Cladosporium and Candida and for Alvi hospital; penicilium followed by Aspergillus, Aspergillus niger, Paecilomyces and Candida. No significant correlations were found between fungi concentrations and temperature and humidity of the sampling sites. However, fungi levels significantly were higher in morning shift comparing to evening shift (p<0.01).

Conclusion: High concentration of airborne fungi bio-aerosols in Ardabil hospitals may be important health risks for health workers and the patients