Yeast Contamination of Air in Wards of Ayatollah Rohani Hospital in Babol, Northern Iran (2016)

Yeasts, as important endogenous pathogens, can be transmitted to patients in hospitals by the route of inhalation. The present study was performed to investigate the presence of such microorganisms in Ayatollah Rohani Hospital in Babol, considering the role of light in the growth of colonies. In this cross-sectional study, fungal spores were collected from six of the hospital wards air using the Anderson equipment in 2016. Plates were incubated at room temperature for maximum 1 week. After the growth of colonies, they were assessed in terms of macroscopic and microscopic morphology. Vesicle (chlamydoconidia) and germ tube formation tests were also performed to differentiate between Candida albicans and other species. The light intensity for the given wards was measured in lux units (Lumen/Square Meter). In total, nineteen yeast colonies grew. The most contaminated ward was the hematology section (57.9% of total colonies). By contrast, there was not any contamination in the surgery ward air during the sampling period. The light intensity in the fourth surgery section of the operating room was the highest in comparison with other sections (with 884 and 878 lux in morning and afternoon sampling times, respectively). Conversely, the rooms of internal ICU were the darkest parts. In this study, no significant association was found between the light intensity and the growth of the colonies (p>0.05). According to the results, the most contaminated hospital ward was the hematology section. Control measures to reduce the population of yeasts can improve the quality of health in hospitalized patients.