Incidence of filamentous fungii in normal oral mucosa of rural workers in the region of Frutal, MG

Abstract

Working conditions give rise to health problems in a complex way, where specialist services are not always capable of finding a solution.Epidemiological studies evaluate these infections, both superficial and deep, and some of these studies perform an evaluation with regard to working and living conditions and the health of workers in a variety of areas. However, there are no bibliographical references in respect of filamentous fungal contamination of the oral cavity, related to rural labour activity.AIMS: To evaluate the incidence of fungal contamination in the normal oropharyngeal region of sugarcane, orange and pineapple plantation workers, in the municipality of Frutal, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. METHODS: This constitutes a prospective, longitudinal study of the cohort type, of 60 temporary workers for each crop, making a comparison with the environment. The collection and analysis of material from the workers and from the environment followed the timing of each culture, designated as (t0), (t1) and (t2). RESULTS: Worker contamination occurred at the second interval of the study. Of the orange grove workers, 1.6% (N=1) were contaminated by F. subglutinans. In the sugarcane plantation, 8.3% (N=5) of workers were contaminated, 5% (N=3) by A. niger and 3.3%(N=2) by F. moniliforme. The two volunteers infected by A. niger were simultaneously infected by C. albicans. Of the sixty pineapple plantation workers analysed, 13.3% (N=8) were contaminated with F. subglutinans. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that working with the pineapple crops was found to be a risk factor for fungal infection in the oral mucosa, when compared to the orange crop. Fungal contamination also occurred with the sugarcane crop, when compared to the reference group. Other factors, such as age, alcohol consumption, smoking, family income and ethnicity were not deemed to be statistically significant in the incidence of infection.