INVESTIGATION OF FUNGAL CONTAMINATION OF INDOOR AIR IN HOMES OF SELECTED PATIENTS WITH ASTHMA BRONCHIALE

Investigations of indoor air of the homes of seven patients with asthm a bronchiale who showed up with positive reactions following intracuta neous application of fungal allergenes revealed that their places of r esidence were contaminated by fungal and bacterial spores. The number of colony forming units of mesophilic fungal spores of the indoor air ranged from 100 to 1000 CFU/m(3) and this was much higher than the mou ld flora of the outdoor air determined simultaneously. The major fungi species found by the indoor investigation were: Penicillium sp. > Asp ergillus sp. > Cladosporium sp., Mucor sp., Chrysonilia sp., Verticill ium sp. > Geotrichum sp., Trichoderma sp. In two cases Thermoactinomyc es species could be detected in the indoor air. The main cause of fung al contamination were moisted building materials on roam walls, insuff icient air ventilation, bad maintenance of the circulating air-machine s and insufficient room hygiene (e.g. biological garbage in the kitche n).