Browsing by Author "Pereira, C.C."
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- Characterization of fungal communities in house dust samples collected from central Portugal-a preliminary surveyPublication . Sousa, A.; Almeida, J.R.; Pereira, C.C.; Ramiro Pastorinho, M.; Pereira, Â.M.; Nogueira, A.J.; Taborda-Barata, L.; Teixeira, João Paulo; Correia, A.C.; Alves, A.House dust is a repository and concentrator of many chemical and biological agents including fungi. Considering that dust acts as a long-term reservoir of airborne fungi and that cumulative exposure is more relevant to potential health problems than single-day or short-term exposure, characterization of fungal communities in dust samples is of paramount importance. In the present study, the fungal composition of Portuguese house dust samples was determined. A total of 28 samples were obtained from vacuum cleaner deposits from households located in central Portugal. DNA was extracted from dust samples and fungal communities were analyzed using a culture-independent polymerase chain reaction (PCR)- denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) approach. Cultural analyses were also performed in order to identify the viable fungi species present in selected samples. Fungal diversity, reported as the number of operational taxonomic units (OTU), varied between 9 and 56 OTU. This analysis of viable fungi showed that Aspergillus was the most abundant genus, followed by Penicillium, Mucor, and Rhizomucor. Trichoderma, Chrysosporium, Fusarium, Rhizopus, and Stachybotrys were found in a limited number of houses. Our results demonstrated that dust is, in fact, home for a diverse and heterogeneous fungal community and that some of the species found are known allergic agents with severe negative impacts on human health.
- Fungal communities in house dust samples from patients with asthma: preliminary resultsPublication . Amaro, R.; Coelho, S.D.; Teixeira, J. P.; Pereira, C.C.; Pastorinho, M.R.; Taborda-Barata, L.; Sousa, A.C.A.People spend about 90% of their time indoors, being exposed to a large number of indoor contaminants, including fungi. Some fungi are associated with a wide range of adverse health effects, including the risk of asthma onset or exacerbation. Many studies support this fact, showing associations between the exposure to indoor damp and mould and the risk of asthma.
- House dust fungal communities’ characterization: a double take on the six by sixty by six project (6x60x6)Publication . Amaro, R.; Coelho, S.D.; Pastorinho, M.R.; Taborda-Barata, L.; Vaz-Patto, M.A.; Monteiro, M.; Nepomuceno, M.; Lanzinha, J.C.G.; Teixeira, J.P.; Pereira, C.C.; Sousa, A.C.A.Fungi are a group microbes, that are found with particular incidence in the indoor environment. Their direct toxicity or capability of generating toxic compounds has been associated with a large number of adverse health effects, such as infectious diseases, allergies and other toxic effects. Our study aims to quantify and identify the fungal community on house dust samples collected using two different methodologies (an approach not often seen in the literature): active (vacuum cleaner bags) and passive sampling (dust settled in petri dishes).
- microRESPIRA: Microbial community in houses from patients with chronic respiratory diseases in EstarrejaPublication . Sousa, A.C.A.; Henriques, I.; Amaro, R.; Coelho, S.D.; Maricoto, T.; Pereira, C.C.; Silva, T.; Taborda-Barata, L.; Teixeira, J.P.; Valente, C.; Pastorinho, M.R.Main goal: To provide a global picture on the prevalence of chronic respiratory diseases in Estarreja and to characterize, for the 1st time, the indoor microbiome (fungi and bacteria).
- Prolonged exposure of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia biofilms to trace levels of clofibric acid alters antimicrobial tolerance and virulencePublication . Gomes, I.B.; Querido, M.M.; Teixeira, J.P.; Pereira, C.C.; Simões, L.C.; Simões, M.The presence of pharmaceuticals in water sources, including in drinking water (DW), is increasingly being recognized as an emerging and global concern for the environment and public health. Based on the principles of the "One Health" initiative, the present work aims to understand the effects of clofibric acid (CA), a lipid regulator, on the behavior of a selected bacterium isolated from drinking water (DW). Biofilms of the opportunistic pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia were exposed to CA for 12 weeks at 170 and 17000 ng/L. The effects of CA were evaluated on planktonic S. maltophilia susceptibility to chlorine and antibiotics (amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, kanamycin, levofloxacin, oxacillin, spectinomycin, tetracycline and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole), biofilm formation, motility, siderophores production and on the adhesion and internalization of the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (HT-29). It was found that CA did not affect planktonic S. maltophilia tolerance to chlorine exposure. Additionally, no effects were observed on biofilm formation, motility and siderophores production. However, biofilms formed after CA exposure were more tolerant to chlorine disinfection and lower CFU reductions were obtained. Of additional concern was the effect of CA exposure on S. maltophilia increased tolerance to erythromycin. CA exposure also slightly reduced S. maltophilia ability to invade HT-29 cells. In conclusion, this work reinforces the importance of studying the effects of non-antibiotic contaminants on the behavior of environmental microorganisms, particularly their role as drivers affecting resistance evolution and selection.