Dishwashers as an Extreme Environment of Potentially Pathogenic Yeast Species.

The study aimed to compare the yeast species diversity in the specific environment of dishwashers, taking into account the potential risk for users. Yeasts were isolated from ten dishwashers and from tap water supplied to the appliances. Samples were collected for mycological analyses at the beginning of each month, from February to May 2016. Four dishwasher sites (rubber seals, detergent dispensers, sprinklers, and water drains) were analyzed. The microfungi were identified by the standard procedures applied in mycological diagnostics. To confirm species identification, molecular analysis was performed based on the sequences of the D1/D2 region. The presence of microfungi was detected in 70% of the investigated appliances. Rubber seals, detergent dispensers, and water drains were the most frequently colonized elements. Thirty-five yeast strains were isolated in this study, of which twenty-seven were obtained from dishwashers and eight from tap water. The strains belonged to six genera and six species (Candida parapsilosis, Clavispora lusitaniae, Dipodascus capitatus, Exophiala dermatitidis, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa). Most of the strains came from rubber seals. In this way, it was demonstrated that the dishwashers' condition is sufficient as an ecological niche for microfungi.

Share of the Saccharomyces genus in the mycobiota of the gastrointestinal tract of oncology patients ­ potential effects of a fruit-based diet

This paper concerns the determination of the share of fungi of the Saccharomyces genus in the mycobiota of the gastrointestinal tract of patients with colorectal cancer. The biological material were fungi isolated from the mouth, oesophagus, duodenum, stomach, large intestine and anus of 92 patients with colorectal cancer. They were subjected to standard mycological diagnostic testing. The analysis was only carried out on isolates containing fungi of the Saccharomyces genus. In 140 isolates (24.5% of all positive results), the species S. cerevisiae (68.5%), S. fragilis (5.71%), S. italicus (11.43%), S. ludwigii (8.60%) and S. rouxii (5.76%) were found, which occurred individually or were accompanied species of the Candida, Trichosporon, and Rhodotorula genera. Most isolates were obtained from the large intestine and anus, and the least from the stomach. It follows from the comparison of the obtained results with those of previous studies into the occurrence of fungi of the Saccharomyces genus in various segments of the gastrointestinal tract, that their prevalence in the gastrointestinal tract is gradually increasing.

The phyllosphere as a little-known reservoir of the Fusarium genus, a fungi of importance to medical mycology

The phyllosphere is an ecological niche that includes the area of the leaf blade, which is a living environment for microorganisms of various taxonomic and trophic groups, including saprotrophic and phytopathogenic fungi. This study analysed the degree of colonisation of the phyllosphere of rush plants of selected bathing lakes by fungi of the Fusarium genus that are of significance to the etiology and epidemiology of fungal infections, and to toxicology and allergology. The research materials was plants of the littoral zone of Lakes Skanda and Kortowskie, which were subjected to a standard phytopathological assessment. The fungi obtained in macrocultures were used to prepare microscopic specimens required for the identification of morphological characteristics of the asexual and sexual stages. A total of 560 fungal isolates were obtained from the phyllosphere of nine plant species, of which 40 (7.14%) were fungi of the Fusarium genus. Most isolates were noted on Phragmites australis. Both macro- and microconidia of Fusarium were observed on this plant, while only macroconidia were observed on other plants. The results confirmed that the phyllosphere was an important reservoir of fungi that are potentially pathogenic to humans.

Fungi of the genus Rhodotorula isolated from the oral cavity of oncologic patients with colorectal cancer

This paper concerns the frequency of occurrence and enzymatic activity of fungi of the genus Rhodotorula isolated from the oral cavity of patients with colorectal cancer. Swabs from the oral cavity were subjected to standard mycological diagnostic procedures; enzymatic activity of the fungi was evaluated using and API Zym test by BioMereux. The fungi of the genus Rhodotorula were noted in 22.5% positive isolates originating from women and 25.7% positive isolates originating from men. They included mono-species isolates of: Rh. glutinis, Rh. minuta, Rh. mucilaginosa and two-species isolates: Rh. minuta + Candida dubliniensis, Rh. mucilaginosa + C. albicans and Rh. mucilaginosa + Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The enzymatic activity of the isolated fungi was evaluated as high and very high in the case of acidic and alkaline phosphatase, esterase lipase, lipase, as well as leucine, valine and cysteine arylamidase. The highest values were determined in Rh. mucilaginosa with co-occurrence of C. albicans and Rh. minuta with co-occurrence of C. dubliniensis. In the ontosphere of oncologic patients, the increasingly frequent appearance of the species of fungi with high and very high enzymatic activity indicates the progressing risk posed by opportunistic forms, which includes Rhodotorula species.

Mycological monitoring of selected aquatic ecosystems in the context of epidemiological hazards. Drinking water.

Many species of microfungi are reported in aquatic ecosystems with different frequency. Their number constantly fluctuates depending on the concentration of environmental and anthropogenic factors. Drinking water, tap and bottled, is essential for the proper functioning of the human body. It is also the main component of food and hence it should be safe for human health and free of contaminants. The mycological purity of tap water in two large cities in the region (Olsztyn and Ostroleka) and a small village (Gaglawki) as well as bottled, medium-mineralized and curative water stored under different conditions were tested. The laboratory investigations followed a pathway applied in diagnostic mycological laboratories. The conducted tests demonstrated that microfungi were found in tap water originating from the cities and in bottled water. The rural water supply system was free from contaminations. Eighteen species of microfungi were identified in tap water from Olsztyn and 9 species in tap water from Ostroleka. In bottled water, 13 fungal species were detected. Exophiala spinifera and Debaryomyces hansenii were recorded in the water supply systems of both cities, while one common species, i.e. Aspergillus fumigatus, was identified in tap water fromOstroleka and in bottled water. The conducted studies have significant practical implications, for instance in sanitary and epidemiological water evaluation and in medicine in the context of analysing the quality of drinking water in reference to health resorts and nosocomial infections.

Yeasts isolated from frequently in-patients and out-patients.

The paper is a part of a general mycological monitoring study of nosocomial infections. Differences in the species composition and drug resistance of fungi isolated from in-patients and out-patients prompted an analysis of this topic. The studies were conducted with fungi from the collection of the Department of Mycology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, that were isolated from the oral cavity, sputum, bronchoscopic fluid, anus and skin from 100 in-patients and 100 out-patients. Laboratory analyses, including species categorization of fungi, were performed according to routine mycological diagnostics. Drug sensitivity to fluconazole and nystatin was tested with the disc diffusion method. In the group of in-patients, a wider taxonomic diversity of fungi (12 species) was found in comparison with the out-patients (7 species) and 31 cases of multifocal infections were recorded, while in the second group the number of the latter was only six. In all patients, C. albicans were predominant, constituting the largest proportion in focal infections in all patients and in multifocal infections in the in-patients. In the latter, over a half of the examined individuals were resistant to fluconazole (C. glabrata and C. krusei ­ 80%, C. tropicalis and S. capsularis ­ 60%, C.guilliermondii ­ 50%) and nystatin (T. beigelii ­ 80%, C. krusei and C. tropicalis ­ 50%). Substantially lower drug resistance of fungi was recorded in the out-patients. The hospital environment is an abundant reservoir of different fungal species with significantly greater expansiveness and aggressiveness compared to the environment outside a hospital.

Snow in the city as a spore bank of potentially pathogenic fungi.

This study evaluates the role of snow as a specific ecological niche and a vector in fungal spreading with particular emphasis on potential pathogens in seasonally and daily changing conditions. The experimental material was fungi isolated from the atmospheric air, snow cover, and fragments of ice and soil from underneath the snow cover. The total count of microfungi in the air before snowfall, i.e. in the autumn, reached 1756.1 CFU/m(3) on average. After the first snowfalls, it dropped to 85.2 CFU/m(3). The analyzed samples of snow cover contained from 101.6 to 8500.0 CFU/m(3) of fungi. Furthermore, 26 species of yeast and yeast-like fungi were isolated from the experimental material. Amongst the analyzed species, 13 were potential anthropopathogens. Though another three species were isolated from organ ontocenoses, i.e. Candida intermedia, Saccharomyces bayanus and Zygosaccharomyces rouxii, their pathogenic potential has not yet been explicitly confirmed. The results of the presented study may be applied in predicting concentrations of fungal spores responsible for mycoses. The first snowfalls significantly reduced the number of colony-forming units of fungi in the air. Under conditions of temperate climate, snow becomes a temporary bank of yeast-like fungi spores and while it melts cells of deposited microfungi migrate to the atmosphere. Hence, individuals with impaired immunity or in the course of immunosuppression or recovery should avoid long walks during periods of snow melting. The count of fungi in urban bioaerosol during the melt may be reduced through systematic removal of snow cover, which is a significant reservoir of potential pathogens. In addition, it should be noted that even a typical psychrophilic strain, capable of surviving at a temperature of 37°C, may bear a significant pathogenic potential.

Results of long-standing mycological analyses of biological materials originating from selected organ ontocenoses--yeast and yeast-like fungi.

This paper reviews the results of an extensive monitoring study, spanning 20-years of observation from three medical centres in Olsztyn on the dynamics and species diversity of fungi most frequently colonizing the respiratory and digestive systems of humans. The experimental materials were swabs and specimens from the gastrointestinal tract, swabs from the oral cavity and pharynx, as well as sputum and bronchial fluid from the respiratory system. The biological material was subjected to routine mycological diagnostics, taxonomic determination and identification. In total, 41 species of yeast and yeast-like fungi were isolated, including 34 from the respiratory and 25 from the digestive system. In the last decade, a significant increase has been noticed in the counts of fungi, especially the gastrointestinal tract, reported from people. As many as 18 species were isolated from both systems--they were predominated by fungi of the genus Candida and their perfect forms. Worthy of notice are also frequent isolations of yeast (Saccharomyces spp.) and detection of an endemic species, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, in the respiratory system, and of the sexual stages of Rhodosporidium diobovatum and Rhodosporidium kratochvilovae from the gastrointestinal tract.

Antifungal activity of the essential oils from some species of the genus Pinus.

The chemical composition of the essential oils from the needles of Pinus ponderosa (north american pine), P. resinosa (red pine) and P. strobus (eastern white pine) has been determined by GC/MS (FID). The essential oils from P. resinosa and P. ponderosa in comparison to P. strobus have been characterized by the higher content of beta-pinene (42.4%, 45.7% and 7.9% respectively). On the other hand, a-pinene (17.7%) and germacrene D (12.2%) were dominant compounds of P strobus. Moreover the essential oil from P. resinosa was more rich in myrcene-15.9%. Estragole and delta-3-carene, each one in amount ca 8% were identified only in P. ponderosa. The content of essential oils in the needles slightly varied--0.65%--P. resinosa, 0.4%--P strobus, 0.3%--P. ponderosa. The antifungal activity has been investigated towards Fusarium culmorum, F solani and F. poae. The strongest activity was observed for the essential oil from P. ponderosa, which fully inhibited the growth of fungi at the following concentrations--F. culmorum, F. solani at 2% and F. poae at 5%.