Abstract
Pathogenic fungi have been given lesser consideration in the diagnosis of respiratory tract infections compared to Bacteria. This research was therefore aimed at screening for mycotic agents associated with pulmonary symptoms in patients attending Infectious Diseases Hospital, Kano – Nigeria. Two hundred sputum samples from two hundred patients were collected and investigated for mycotic infections. The samples were cultivated on sabouraud’s dextrose agar (SDA) containing Gentamycin and incubated at room temperature and at 37 o C for seven to fourteen days. Dalamau plate technique was employed to differentiate yeast types. Germ-tube test was used to confirm the presence of Candida albicans. Out of one hundred and eleven positive samples, 63.06% were males and 36.94% were females. Forty- One (36.94%) were positive with Aspergillus species, forty (36.04%) with Candida species, fifteen (13.51%) with Geotrichum species, ten (9.01%) with Penicillium species, two (1.80%) with Alternaria species; also Curvularia species (1.80%) and one subject (0.90%) was found to be positive with Sepedonium species. Significant association was found between fungal colonization with age and with antibiotic usage (P<0.05). Since the overall incidence was found to be 55.50%, it implies that fungal culture had helped in the diagnosis of fungal pulmonary disease, however, Aspergillus and Candida species were found more vulnerable in compounding bronchopulmonary disorders.
Highlights
Fungi may cause diseases of the lungs through direct infection of the pulmonary tissues, by invading pulmonary air spaces/lung cavities, or through their ability to trigger an immunological reaction when fungal material is inhaled
Cultivation: The samples were inoculated on Sabouraud’s Dextrose Agar (SDA) containing Gentamycin as employed by Patrick et al (2010) and incubated at room temperature and at 37oC for 7 to 14 days as used by Baker et al (2001). 0.1ml of sputum was stroken on the surface of sterile medium using a sterile wire loop as employed by John (2002); Grown colonies were subcultured on the s dextrose agar (SDA); corn meal agar was used to differentiate yeast types using Dalamau Plate Technique as affirmed by WHO (2009) and Ochie and Kolhatkhar (2005)
One hundred and eleven (55.50%) were found to be positive out of which seventy (63.06%) were males and forty- one (36.94%) were females; the fungal species with highest incidence was found to be Aspergillus species (36.94%) followed by Candida spp. (36.04%) and the lowest being Sepedonium spp (0.90%)
Summary
Fungi may cause diseases of the lungs through direct infection of the pulmonary tissues, by invading pulmonary air spaces/lung cavities, or through their ability to trigger an immunological reaction when fungal material is inhaled. Fungal infection have emerged as a world-wide health care problem in recent years, owing to the extensive use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, long-term use of immunosuppressive agents, and the increasing population of terminally ill, debilitated and immunocompromised patients. In tune with this general trend, there has been phenomenal rise in occurrence of fungal lung infections over the last two decades, a significant fraction of which is community acquired and very few are capable of infecting a normal host (Chen et al, 2001). Species of Basidiomycetes and yeasts such as C. albicans are important allergen sources (Kumar and Saunders, 1998)
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