Mycoflora of the human dermal surfaces

Abstract

The mycotic flora of the scalp and interdigital areas of the hand and foot of 1296 apparently healthy human inhabitants of three Amazonian communities were surveyed by means of microscopic examination of epidermal scrapings and cultural isolation on Mycosel agar. No macroscopic or microscopic evidence of fungal infection was detected in any of our study subjects. From 133 (10%) individuals, 143 fungi representing 13 genera and 39 species were recovered. Yeasts constituted 85% of the fungi. Seventy-five percent of the isolates were fungi with pathogenic potential: Aureobasidium pullulans, Candida albicans, Candida guilliermondii, Candida parapsilosis, Candida stellatoidea, Candida tropicalis, Exophiala werneckii, Geotrichum candidum, Rhodotorula rubra, Torulopsis glabrata, Trichophyton tonsurans, Trichosporon cutaneum, and Wangiella dermatitidis. The low frequency with which each species was represented resulted in a mosaic distribution of the fungi with respect to human anatomical sites and study areas. The lack of similarity in species composition beteen the human dermal mycoflora and soil mycoflora in the same study areas supports the conclusion that distinct yeast species occupy different environmental niches.

Part 11: Pediatric Basic Life Support and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Quality

“…guilliermondii (teleomorph, Pichia guilliermondii) is known to be a normal component of the human skin and mucosal flora (51,57) and is rarely associated with invasive infections such as endocarditis (104), pericarditis (105), osteomyelitis (103), and peritonitis and fungemia (27,36,48,49,68,70,79). Infection with this species is often catheter-related and has been found to be more common among patients with cancer than among the general hospital population (27,48).…”

Leveduras do gênero Candida isoladas de sítios anatomicamente distintos de profissionais militares em Cuiabá (MT), Brasil

“…11 Others, however, failed to find C. albicans in skin scrapings from healthy individuals, with C. tropicalis, present in 3.87% of cases, being the most commonly found species. 17 The conditions in the work environment and the continuous use of closed footwear, the stress associated with military service and the body heat provoked by the use of uniforms leading to intense perspiration, all constitute factors possibly related to the yeast infections in the anatomical sites investigated.…”

“…A study conducted in the Amazon region in which the authors investigated yeast colonization in skin scrapings from the hands and feet of 1,296 apparently healthy inhabitants of three riverbank communities in the Amazon region showed that 10.1% of the population evaluated tested positive for yeast infection. 17 Purim et al investigated fungal microbiota from the feet of Chinese and Brazilian football players and found Candida yeast infections in 34.4% of a sample of 129 Brazilian users of occlusive footwear. 18 On the other hand, in 2006 and 2007, investigators evaluating the prevalence of etiological factors of superficial mycoses on the feet and nails of 1,300 and 650 Algerian military personnel, respectively, found a prevalence of 68% of Candida yeast infection on the feet of these individuals, C. parapsilosis being the principal causal agent both on the skin of the feet and in the toenails in 28.2% and 18.7% of individuals, respectively.…”

“…14,20 Other authors, however, have reported lower rates compared to the present study, in which a prevalence of 15.2% (n=23) of Candida yeast infections was found in the toenails. 17 Some investigators have shown C. parapsilosis to be the principal agent in infections in this part of the body. 20 A study conducted in Brazil showed C. tropicalis (30%) to be the most commonly found species in interdigital mycosis of the feet in military personnel in the southwestern part of the state of Paraná.…”

An epidemiologic study of the fungal skin flora among the elderly in Alexandria

“…They reported a prevalence of 210 for C. albicans carriage in an old people's home. Mock & Silva (1984) reported the recovery of fungi from 10% of healthy inhabitants of three Amazonia communities. Most of the isolates were of pathogenic potential such as C. albicans, C. guilliermondii, C. parapsilosis, C. stellatoidae, C. tropicalis, Rhodotorula rubra, Torulopsis glabrata, Trichosporon cutaneum and Trichophyton tonsurans.…”