Epidemiology study of Aspergillus sp. that causes pneumonia in cancer patients

Abstract

Aspergillosis is a fungal disease caused by Aspergillus, a saprophytic filamentous fungus that can be found in the air. Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is known to affect immunocompromised patients. 80 sputum samples were collected from cancer patients infected with pneumonia. This sample was cultured on SDA for isolation and identification of Aspergillus spp. and diagnosis by macroscopic and microscopic examination. The result shows that Aspergillus represents 26 (86.7 %) and the most mold causes pneumonia; A.fumigatus represents 12 (40 %), followed by A.niger 8 (26.7%), A.terrus 4(13.3%) and A.flavus 2 (6.7%). Alternaria sp. 2(6.7%) and Penicillium sp. 2 (6.7%) were also isolated. The most common type of cancer in Aspergillus prevalent it is lung cancer (42.85 %), followed by ovary cancer (21.4 %), and colon, breast, osteosarcoma, urethra, larynx (7.14 %). the most age stage isolate Aspergillus is (>50 years) as (50 %), and the less isolate is (21-30) as (7.14 %). the positive isolation increased in the long duration of cancer (64.3 %) in more than 12 months, and harmful isolation increased in the short duration (1m-6m) (61.5%). Keywords: Aspergillus sp., pneumonia, cancer