Dermatophytes, related keratinophilic and opportunistic fungi in indoor dust of houses and hospitals.

Dermatophytes, related keratinophilic and opportunistic fungi were isolated from indoor dust samples of 46 hospitals and 47 houses in Kanpur. A total of 19 fungi represented by 11 genera were isolated by the hair-baiting technique from 230 and 235 samples from hospitals and houses respectively. The isolated fungi are Acremonium implicatum (Indian Type Culture Collection) ITCC 5266 , A. strictum (Germplasm Centre for Keratinophilic Fungi) GPCK 1137 , Aphanoascus fulvescens GPCK 1081 , Arthroderma simii GPCK 1275 , Chrysosporium queenslandicum ITCC 5270 , C. indicum ITCC 5269 , C. pannicola GPCK 1022 , C. tropicum GPCK 1269 , Ctenomyces serratus ITCC 5267 , Gymnoascus reessii ITCC 5265 , Malbranchea fulva GPCK 1075 , Malbranchea pulchella ITCC 5268 , Micosporum gypseum GPCK 1038 , Microsporum cookei GPCK 2001, M. fulvum GPCK 2002 , Paecilomyces lilacinum GPCK 1080 , Penicillium expansum GPCK 1082, Trichophyton mentagrophytes GPCK 2003 and T. terrestre GPCK 2004. In hospitals, the minimum frequency was of Ctenomyces serratus ITCC 5267 while the maximum frequency was of Arthroderma simii GPCK 1275 . In houses, Chrysosporium queenslandicum ITCC 5270 and C. tropicum GPCK 1269 were with minimum and maximum frequencies respectively. This makes the first report of these fungi with keratinolytic ability in the indoor dust of hospitals and houses.

In vitro activity of certain antibiotics against dermatophytes.

The in vitro effect of antibiotics i.e. Hamycin, Griseofulvin and Mycostatin against Microsporum gypseum and M. fulvum showed that hamycin was comparatively less inhibitory to M. fulvum. Complete inhibition in mycelial growth and sporulation of these two dermatophytes was observed by Mycostatin at its 1000 micrograms/ml conc. after 8 days. M. fulvum did not sporulate at higher concentration of griseofulvin. However, griseofulvin completely inhibited the sporulation in M. gypseum at all the concentration of this drug, but mycelial growth of M. fulvum and M. gypseum were significantly inhibited. Mycostatin was found more inhibitory to these dermatophytes in comparison to hamycin and griseofulvin.