Frequency and significance of fungal isolations from conjunctival sac and their role in ocular infections

Abstract

Five hundred conjunctival swabs, from 150 males and 100 females with no history of ocular infections, were collected and cultured for the isolations of fungi. Eighty (16%) of the total specimens yielded positive fungal isolations. The isolation rate was more from the males than the females subjects. Mycelial fungi were predominant than the yeast organisms. Aspergillus species were the commonest isolates with A. flavus taking the lead in the isolations being positive 16 of the total 24 Aspergillus species isolated. A variable rate of fungal isolations was observed in different months of the year. The percentage of the isolations increases after the local use of Efcorlin-N. Nineteen of the 20 eyes studied did not yield the same fungal species in the repeated samples.

Fungal and Parasitic Infections of the Eye

“…There may be a seasonal increase in conjunctival fungal isolation, possibly related to the airborne carriage of conidia (14). Genera of filamentous fungi predominated in three large studies of conjunctival cultures involving over 1,000 patients (14,234,235). In one study of the conjunctiva and eyelid margins, C. parapsilosis was found in ϳ25% of the eyes (290).…”

“…Aspergillus, Fusarium spp. (14,235), and occasionally C. albicans (232) are cultured from the conjunctiva of healthy and diseased eyes; therefore, it is difficult to establish saprophytic fungal isolates as pathogens of the conjunctiva unless a biopsy is performed, and this is rarely necessary. P. carinii may cause conjunctivitis, but this organism cannot be cultured (220).…”

Microbiota fúngica conjuntival: estudo comparativo entre pacientes com AIDS, pacientes infectados pelo HIV e pacientes HIV-negativos antes da era do HAART

“…Assim, a grande freqüência de isolamento do referido fungo, na presente investigação, pode ter ocorrido devido à contaminação ambiental 10 . Não houve isolamento de um mesmo fungo por mais de duas vezes seguidas no mesmo paciente, supondo flora fúngica transitória, já observada por outros pesquisadores em estudos anteriores 11 .…”

Eco-epidemiologic study of emerging fungi related to the work of babaçu coconut breakers in the State of Maranhão, Brazil

“…Aspergillus sp. and yeasts are the most commonly isolated genera in most reports on the mycobiota in healthy conjunctiva, mycotic keratitis and anemophilous microbiota [20][21][22][23][24] . Among various studies, the different percentages of fungi isolated from the normal conjunctival microbiota are related to many factors, such as the different personal and general hygienic conditions of the population evaluated, the different climatic conditions and vegetation of the region studied and whether the region was urban or rural 25 .…”

“…The nearly permanent exposure of the conjunctiva to the external environment is perhaps the most logical reason for the existence of a mycotic fl ora in healthy conjunctiva, varying according to the individual's merits and occupation 24,[30][31][32][33] . In most cases, babaçu coconut breakers perform their activities without personal protective equipment, which exposes them to the risks inherent to the work, as several of them perform this activity when working with babaçu crops.…”