Monitoring indoor airborne fungi and bacteria in the different areas of Trakya University Hospital, Edirne, Turkey

The aim of this investigation was to monitor monthly the densities and distribution of indoor airborne fungi and bacteria in 6 different areas of Trakya University Hospital (Edirne, Turkey). Areas monitored were an operating theatre, birthing-room, emergency department, service area for infectious diseases, intensive care unit and the canteen. Our method was to expose Petri dishes which contained rose-bengal streptomycin agar and 5% sheep-blood agar media to room air for 10-min periods. Samples were collected at 1-month intervals from September 2000 to February 2001. A total of 156 microfungal and 535 bacterial colonies were counted on 144 plates. During a 6-month period, 10 bacterial genera (Acinetobacter, Bacillus, Corynebacterium, Enterococcus, Escherichia, Listeria, Micrococcus, Propionibacteria, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus)7 fungal genera (Altemaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Scopulariopsis and Trichothecium) and 33 fungal species were isolated from the hospital air. Penicillium loliense, P. melinii and P. phoeniceum were newly recognised species for Turkey. Some bacterial species such as coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, Micrococcus and Corynebacterium spp. were predominant (percentages of colonies counted were 72.2, 10.7 and 8.8%, respectively). Cladosporium and Penicillium were the most prevalent fungal genera. Cladosporium was predominant in September, November and February, Alternaria in October and December and Penicillium in January. Staphylococcus spp. was the most common bacterial species in all months. Statistical analyses (regression with optimal scaling test) were applied to the data.