Faecal fungal flora in healthy volunteers and inpatients

The faecal fungal flora was analysed in healthy volunteers and inpatients. Self-obtained stool swabs from volunteers (n = 228) and inpatient stool-sam ples (n = 34) were cultured on Inhibitory-Mould-Agar plat-es. All yeast iso lates were identified. Fungi were detected in 51.8% of volunteers; the majo rity (88.1%) had single species. The prevalence increased steadily with age . Candida albicans was detected in 62.7%, non-albicans Candida species in 2 2.0%, yeasts other than Candida in 20.3% and moulds in 8.5% of volunteers w ith fungi. No gender-related differences were noted in the prevalence or ty pes of yeast, Candida glabrata and C. krusei were detected in adults only. Intra-household species-similarity (excluding C. albicans) was noted in sev en of 31 (22.6%) households with fungi in two or more members. Inpatients h ad higher prevalence of yeast (88.2%) with a single species in the majority (73.3%). Yeasts other than Candida were less common in inpatients (3.3%; P = 0.013) whereas C. glabrata was significantly more prevalent (33.3 versus 2.5%; P <0.001). This study delineates the faecal fungal flora in voluntee rs and inpatients, Most subjects harbour a single species that may be share d with other households. The prevalence is somewhat higher in adults and th e types of yeast may vary with age. Finally, C. glabrata appears to be acqu ired nosocomially.