Dishwashers - a man-made ecological niche accommodating human opportunistic fungal pathogens

Zalar, Polona (author), Novak Babič, Monika (author), Hoog, Sybren de (author), Gunde-Cimerman, Nina (author)

Habitats in human households may accommodate microorganisms outside the commonspectrum of ubiquitous saprobes. Enrichment of fungi that may require specific environmental conditions was observed in dishwashers, 189 of which were sampled in private homes of 101 towns or communities. One-hundred-two were sampled from various localities in Sloveniač 42 from other European countriesč 13 and 3 from North and South America, respectivelyč 5 from Israelč10 from South Africač 7 from Far East Asiač and 7 from Australia. Isolation was performed on samples incubated at 37 degrees C. Species belonging to genera Aspergillus, Candida, Magnusiomyces, Fusarium, Penicilliumand Rhodotorula were found occasionally, while the black yeasts Exophiala dermatitidis and Exophiala phaeomuriformis (Chaetothyriales) were persistently and most frequently isolated. Sixty-two percent of the dishwashers were positive for fungi, and 56% of these accommodated Exophiala. Both Exophiala species are known to be able to cause systemic disease in humans and frequently colonize the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis. Weconclude that high temperature, high moisture and alkaline pH values typically occurring in dishwashers can provide an alternative habitat for species also known to be pathogenic to humans.

• Language: English
• Keywords: black yeasts, human opportunistic pathogen, hygiene, physiology, waterborne fungi
• Work type: Not categorized
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Year: 2011
• Number of pages: Str. 997-1007
• Numbering: Vol. 115, no. 10
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-37521
• UDC: 579
• ISSN on article: 1878-6146
• DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2011.04.007
• COBISS.SI-ID: 2442063
• Publication date in RUL: 10.07.2015

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Fungal biology
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 1878-6146
• COBISS.SI-ID: 2396239