Indoor Air and Surface Fungal Contamination in the Special Care Baby Unit of a Tertiary Hospital in Jos, Nigeria

Okolo OM¹, Toma OB², Envulado AE³, Olubukunnola I⁴, Izang A⁴, Onyedibe K¹, Maktep DD¹, Egah ZD¹

¹Department of Medical Microbiology,
²Department of Paediatrics, and ³Department of Community Medicine, College of Health Science, University of Jos, Nigeria.
⁴Department of Paediatrics, Plateau State Specialist Hospital, Jos, Nigeria.

*Correspondence

Okolo Mark Ojogba 

Email: okolomark@gmail.com

Abstract

Fungi frequently contaminate the indoor air as well as surfaces of hospital equipment and furniture. This pose a significant risk for neonates in the Special Care Baby Unit. This study aimed to determine the rate of fungal contamination of indoor air and surfaces of the special care baby unit of a tertiary health facility in Jos, Nigeria. The study was carried out at the special care baby unit of the Jos University Teaching Hospital. Indoor air samples were obtained using sedimentation method whereas samples from surfaces were collected using sterile pre-moistened cotton tipped swab sticks. The swab sticks were inoculated onto sabouraud dextrose agar plates which were incubated along with indoor air culture plates for seven days. Univariate analysis was carried out using STATA (version 14IC). Fungal contamination rate of the special care baby unit was 20.2%. Aspergillus species (29.6%) was the most predominant fungus isolated. Most of the fungi were isolated from the outborn term and outborn preterm rooms of the special care baby unit. The fungi isolated include Aspergillus spp, Candida spp, Penicillium spp, Cladosporium spp, Curvularia spp, Fusarium spp, Paecillomyces spp, Alternatia spp, and Rhodotorulla spp. Fungi are a major cause of indoor air as well as surface contamination in special care baby unit of the hospital. Routine cleaning and disinfection will lead to a reduction in the fungal load.

Keywords: Aspergillus species, fungi, indoor air, surface contamination