Antifungal-resistant mucorales in different indoor environments

• Main Author: Aranha Caetano, Liliana
• Publication Date: 2018
• Other Authors: Faria, Tiago, Springer, Jan, Loeffler, Juergen, Viegas, Carla
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/9083
• topic: Mucorales; Antifungal drug-resistance; Indoor environment; Air-conditioning filter; Environmental health; Portugal; Project nº 23222 (02/SAICT/2016); IPL/2016/W2E_ESTeSL; IPL/2016/BBIOR_ESTeSL; Project ACT - 005DBB/12

This paper sought to address the prevalence of Mucorales in different indoor environments in Portugal. Environmental samples (183 in total) were collected at dwellings (n = 79) and workplaces (bakeries, swine farms, taxis, waste-sorting plants) (n = 93) by passive sampling using electrostatic dust collector (EDC), air-conditioning filters, litter, and/or raw materials. Samples were inoculated onto non-selective MEA and DG18 media and were screened for antifungal drug-resistance in azole-supplemented agar Sabouraud media. A probe-based Mucorales-specific real-time PCR assay (Muc18S) was used to detect Mucorales in complement to conventional culture-based methods. Mucorales order was found as more prevalent in air-conditioning filters from waste-sorting fork lifters (35.7%). Amongst Mucorales isolates able to grow in azole-supplemented media, 16 isolates of Mucor sp., Rhizopus sp. or Rhizomucor sp. were not susceptible to 1 mg/L voriconazole, and four isolates of Mucor sp. or Rhizopus sp. were not susceptible to 4 mg/L itraconazole. In conclusion, a combination of the culture-based and molecular methods proved to be reliable for Mucorales order identification in complex environmental samples.