Abstract
ObjectiveThe aim of our study was to evaluate the level of fungal contamination of food served to patients in the hematology unit of Farhat Hached hospital, Sousse (Tunisia). MethodsWe analyzed 159 food served to 90 patients during the post-chemotherapy aplasia period. ResultsThe overall rate of fungal contamination was 66.6%. Fruits and green salads’ contamination was very high (90 and 100%, respectively). Aspergillus species were the most frequent (48.4%) followed by Candida (25.1%), Penicillium (22%), Rhizopus (17.6%) and Cladosporium (17%). The presence of Aspergillus on fruits (66.6%) represents a real source of contamination by inhalation of spores and the presence of Candida (25.1%) in any type of food is a source of gastrointestinal colonization. ConclusionThe diet of neutropenic patients should be submitted to a strict surveillance to reduce the risk of fungal infections of food.
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