1887

Abstract

Data on the occurrence and epidemiology of spp. in laying hens farms are scant. With the aims of determining levels of airborne contamination in laying hen farms and evaluating the potential risk of infection for workers and animals, 57 air samples from 19 sheds (Group I), 69 from faeces (Group II), 19 from poultry feedstuffs (Group III) and 60 from three anatomical sites (i.e. nostrils, pharynx, ears) of 20 farm workers (Group IV) were cultured. The spp. prevalence in samples ranged from 31.6 % (Group III) to 55.5 % (Group IV), whereas the highest conidia concentration was retrieved in Group II (1.2×10 c.f.u. g) and in Group III (1.9×10 c.f.u. g). The mean concentration of airborne spp. conidia was 70 c.f.u. m with (27.3 %) being the most frequently detected species, followed by (6.3 %). These spp. were also isolated from human nostrils (40 %) and ears (35 %) (<0.05) (Group IV). No clinical aspergillosis was diagnosed in hens. The results demonstrate a relationship between the environmental contamination in hen farms and presence of spp. on animals and humans. Even if the concentration of airborne spp. conidia (i.e. 70 c.f.u. m) herein detected does not trigger clinical disease in hens, it causes human colonization. Correct management of hen farms is necessary to control environmental contamination by spp., and could lead to a significant reduction of animal and human colonization.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.065946-0
2014-03-01
2024-03-28
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/jmm/63/3/464.html?itemId=/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.065946-0&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Alberti C., Bouakline A., Ribaud P., Lacroix C., Rousselot P., Leblanc T., Derouin F. Aspergillus Study Group 2001; Relationship between environmental fungal contamination and the incidence of invasive aspergillosis in haematology patients. J Hosp Infect 48:198–206 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Arné P., Thierry S., Wang D., Deville M., Le Loc’h G., Desoutter A., Féménia F., Nieguitsila A., Huang W. other authors 2011; Aspergillus fumigatus in poultry. Int J Microbiol 2011:746356 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Arnow P. M., Sadigh M., Costas C., Weil D., Chudy R. 1991; Endemic and epidemic aspergillosis associated with in-hospital replication of Aspergillus organisms. J Infect Dis 164:998–1002 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Barton J. T., Daft B. M., Read D. H., Kinde H., Bickford A. A. 1992; Tracheal aspergillosis in 6½-week-old chickens caused by Aspergillus flavus. . Avian Dis 36:1081–1085 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Binder U., Lass-Flörl C. 2011; Epidemiology of invasive fungal infections in the Mediterranean area. Mediterr J Hematol Infect Dis 3:e20110016[PubMed] [CrossRef]
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Blyth W. 1978; The occurrence and nature of alveolitis-inducing substances in Aspergillus clavatus. . Clin Exp Immunol 32:272–282[PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Chapman M. D. 2006; Challenges associated with indoor moulds: health effects, immune response and exposure assessment. Med Mycol 44:Suppl. 129–32 [View Article]
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Chotirmall S. H., Al-Alawi M., Mirkovic B., Lavelle G., Logan P. M., Greene C. M., McElvaney N. G. 2013; Aspergillus-associated airway disease, inflammation, and the innate immune response. Biomed Res Int 2013:723129 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  9. de Hoog G. S., Guarro J., Gene J., Figueras M. J. 2011 Atlas of Clinical Fungi, 3rd edn. Utrecht, The Netherlands: Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures;
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Dyar P. M., Fletcher O. J., Page R. K. 1984; Aspergillosis in turkeys associated with use of contaminated litter. Avian Dis 28:250–255 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Fairs A., Wardlaw A. J., Thompson J. R., Pashley C. H. 2010; Guidelines on ambient intramural airborne fungal spores. J Invest Allergol Clin Immunol 20:490–498[PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Fulleringer S. L., Seguin D., Warin S., Bezille A., Desterque C., Arné P., Chermette R., Bretagne S., Guillot J. 2006; Evolution of the environmental contamination by thermophilic fungi in a turkey confinement house in France. Poult Sci 85:1875–1880[PubMed] [CrossRef]
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Gardes M., Bruns T. D. 1993; ITS primers with enhanced specificity for basidiomycetes – application to the identification of mycorrhizae and rusts. Mol Ecol 2:113–118 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Ghazikhanian G. Y. 1989; An outbreak of systemic aspergillosis caused by Aspergillus flavus in turkey poults. J Am Vet Med Assoc 194:1798
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Grant I. W., Blackadder E. S., Greenberg M., Blyth W. 1976; Extrinsic allergic alveolitis in Scottish maltworkers. BMJ 1:490–493 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Gregory P. H., Lacey M. E. 1963; Mycological examination of dust from mouldy hay associated with farmer’s lung disease. J Gen Microbiol 30:75–88 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Groll A. H., Jaeger G., Allendorf A., Herrmann G., Schloesser R., von Loewenich V. 1998; Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in a critically ill neonate: case report and review of invasive aspergillosis during the first 3 months of life. Clin Infect Dis 27:437–452 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Hajjeh R. A., Warnock D. W. 2001; Counterpoint: invasive aspergillosis and the environment – rethinking our approach to prevention. Clin Infect Dis 33:1549–1552 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Heinemann S., Symoens F., Gordts B., Jannes H., Nolard N. 2004; Environmental investigations and molecular typing of Aspergillus flavus during an outbreak of postoperative infections. J Hosp Infect 57:149–155 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Humphreys H., Johnson E. M., Warnock D. W., Willatts S. M., Winter R. J., Speller D. C. 1991; An outbreak of aspergillosis in a general ITU. J Hosp Infect 18:167–177 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Jaakkola M. S., Nordman H., Piipari R., Uitti J., Laitinen J., Karjalainen A., Hahtola P., Jaakkola J. J. 2002; Indoor dampness and molds and development of adult-onset asthma: a population-based incident case-control study. Environ Health Perspect 110:543–547 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Knudtson W. U., Meinecke C. F. 1972; Pneumonic aspergillosis in poults caused by Aspergillus flavus. . Avian Dis 16:1130–1132 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Kunkle R. A. 2003; Aspergillosis. In Diseases of Poultry, 11th edn. pp. 883–895 Edited by Saif Y. M. Ames, IA: Iowa Press;
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Leenders A. C., van Belkum A., Behrendt M., Luijendijk A., Verbrugh H. A. 1999; Density and molecular epidemiology of Aspergillus in air and relationship to outbreaks of Aspergillus infection. J Clin Microbiol 37:1752–1757[PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Morris M. P., Fletcher O. J. 1988; Disease prevalence in Georgia turkey flocks in 1986. Avian Dis 32:404–406 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Morris G., Kokki M. H., Anderson K., Richardson M. D. 2000; Sampling of Aspergillus spores in air. J Hosp Infect 44:81–92 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Ozhak-Baysan B., Alastruey-Izquierdo A., Saba R., Ogunc D., Ongut G., Timuragaoglu A., Arslan G., Cuenca-Estrella M., Rodriguez-Tudela J. L. 2010; Aspergillus alliaceus and Aspergillus flavus co-infection in an acute myeloid leukemia patient. Med Mycol 48:995–999 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Prester L. 2011; Indoor exposure to mould allergens. Arh Hig Rada Toksikol 62:371–380 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Richard J. L., Thurston J. R., Peden W. M., Pinello C. 1984; Recent studies on aspergillosis in turkey poults. Mycopathologia 87:3–11 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Rodrigues P., Santos C., Venâncio A., Lima N. 2011; Species identification of Aspergillus section Flavi isolates from Portuguese almonds using phenotypic, including MALDI-TOF ICMS, and molecular approaches. J Appl Microbiol 111:877–892 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Sabino R., Faísca V. M., Carolino E., Veríssimo C., Viegas C. 2012; Occupational exposure to Aspergillus by swine and poultry farm workers in Portugal. J Toxicol Environ Health A 75:1381–1391 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Sahakian N. M., Park J. H., Cox-Ganser J. M. 2008; Dampness and mold in the indoor environment: implications for asthma. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am 28:485–505, vii [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Tell L. A. 2005; Aspergillosis in mammals and birds: impact on veterinary medicine. Med Mycol 43:Suppl. 171–73 [View Article][PubMed]
    [Google Scholar]
  34. White T. J., Bruns T., Lee S., Taylor J. 1990; Amplification and direct sequencing of fungal ribosomal RNA genes for phylogenetics. In PCR Protocols: a Guide to Methods and Applications pp. 315–322 Edited by Innis M. San Diego, CA: Academic Press;
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.065946-0
Loading
/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.065946-0
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error