Determining of Fungal Contamination and Survey the Respective Effective Factors in Public Indoor Swimming Pools, Shiraz, Southern Iran

Public swimming pools are susceptible places for the spread and transmission of pathogenic fungi. This study aims to determine fungal contamination in the environment and water of swimming pools and its relationship with the water chlorine level, temperature, pH and turbidity, to promote the public health system. Water samples were collected from 13 indoor public swimming pools in Shiraz and filtered. Temperature, chlorine level, pH and turbidity of the pools were measured on site. Samples from different parts of the pools were collected using 4×4 sterile carpet and cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar. Fungal identifications were performed by the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, and complementary tests. The identification of dermatophyte species was done by PCR-RFLP method. The average pH, chlorine and temperature of the water in all studied pools were 7.6, 1.5 mg/L and 31.2 °C, respectively. Turbidity was not observed in any water samples. Totally, 29 fungal species were identified from water and the environment of the pools. Chlorine level was found to be associated with the fungi isolated. Different species of filamentous hyaline hyphomycete (Aspergillus, Penicillium), pheohyphomycete (Alternaria, Epicoccum and Cladosporium) and Yeast (Candida, Rhodotorolla) were isolated. The changing rooms and shoe racks were most contaminated parts of the pools. Given the isolated different fungal species from water and environment of the swimming pools, cleaning the environment of the pools, especially changing rooms and shoe racks, and control of water chlorine level, play an important role in the reduction of fungal contamination and transmission.