Browsing by Author "Veríssimo, C."
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- Accessing indoor fungal contamination by Aspergillus fumigatus complex using conventional and molecular methods in portuguese poultriesPublication . Viegas, C.; Malta-Vacas, J.; Sabino, R.; Viegas, S.; Veríssimo, C.Epidemiological studies showed increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms and adverse changes in pulmonary function parameters in poultry workers, corroborating the increased exposure to risk factors, such as fungal load and their metabolites. This study aimed to determine the occupational exposure threat due to fungal contamination caused by the toxigenic isolates belonging to the complex of the species of Aspergillus flavus and also isolates from Aspergillus fumigatus species complex. The study was carried out in seven Portuguese poultries, using cultural and molecular methodologies. For conventional/cultural methods, air, surfaces, and litter samples were collected by impaction method using the Millipore Air Sampler. For the molecular analysis, air samples were collected by impinger method using the Coriolis μ air sampler. After DNA extraction, samples were analyzed by real-time PCR using specific primers and probes for toxigenic strains of the Aspergillus flavus complex and for detection of isolates from Aspergillus fumigatus complex. Through conventional methods, and among the Aspergillus genus, different prevalences were detected regarding the presence of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus fumigatus species complexes, namely: 74.5 versus 1.0 % in the air samples, 24.0 versus 16.0 % in the surfaces, 0 versus 32.6 % in new litter, and 9.9 versus 15.9 % in used litter. Through molecular biology, we were able to detect the presence of aflatoxigenic strains in pavilions in which Aspergillus flavus did not grow in culture. Aspergillus fumigatus was only found in one indoor air sample by conventional methods. Using molecular methodologies, however, Aspergillus fumigatus complex was detected in seven indoor samples from three different poultry units. The characterization of fungal contamination caused by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus fumigatus raises the concern of occupational threat not only due to the detected fungal load but also because of the toxigenic potential of these species.
- Assessment of fungal contamination in a Portuguese maternity unitPublication . Viegas, C.; Sabino, R.; Veríssimo, C.; Rosado, L.A descriptive study was developed to monitor air fungal contamination in one Portuguese maternity. Sixty air samples were collected through impaction method. Air sampling was performed in food storage facilities, kitchen, food plating, canteen, pharmacy, sterilization areas, genecology wards, intensive care unit, operating rooms, urgency and also, outside premises, since this was the place regarded as reference. Besides air samples, forty three samples were collected by swabbing the surfaces using a 10 by 10 cm square stencil. Simultaneously, temperature, relative humidity and particles counting (PM10) were registered. Twenty three species of fungi were identified in air, being the two most commonly isolated the genera Penicillium (41,5%) and Cladosporium (28,4%). Regarding yeasts, only Rhodotorula sp. (45,2%), Trichosporon mucoides (51,6%) and Cryptococcus neoformans (3,2%) were found. Thirteen species of fungi were identified in surfaces, being the most frequent the Penicillium genus (91,6%). Concerning yeasts found in surfaces, four species were identified being Rhodotorula sp. (29,1%) the most frequent. There was no coincidence between prevailing genera indoors and outside premises. Moreover, some places presented fungal species different from the ones isolated outside. In the inside environment, Aspergillus species were isolated in air and surfaces. There was no significant relationship (p>0,05) between fungal contamination and the studied environmental variables. Keywords: air, surfaces, fungal contamination, environmental variables, maternity.
- Contribuição para o controlo da infeção nosocomial de Candida parapsilosis por tipagem com marcadores de DNA microssatélitePublication . Sabino, R.; Sampaio, P.; Viegas, C.; Veríssimo, C.; Pais, C.Fungal infections constitute a relevant problem in hospitals from all over the world. Their easy transmission through the air, water, or by direct or indirect contact with contaminated persons, surfaces or objects lead to an increasing preoccupation with those infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients. Regarding the enormous importance of Candida parapsilosis as agent of bloodstream infections and hospital outbreaks, the presented work aimed to contribute to the development of new molecular tools able to answer to epidemiological questions related with infections by this species and their application in favor of patient safety
- Cutaneous infectionbydifferent Alternaria species inalivertransplant recipientPublication . Brás, S.; Sabino, R.; Laureano, A.; Simões, H.; Fernandes, C.; Marques-Pinto, G.; Cardoso, J.; Veríssimo, C.Fungal invasive infections are rare in general population but are an emergent cause of infection in the immunocompromized population, especially in the solid organ transplant recipients. Herein the authors report a clinical case of a liver transplanted patient suffering a cutaneous co-existent infection with A. alternata as well as A. infectoria. To our knowledge this is the first case of cutaneous concomitant infection due to those two species reported not only in Portugal but also worldwide. The patient was treated with surgical excision of the lesions and oral itraconazol without relapse.
- Dermatomycosis in lower limbs of diabetic patients followed by Podiatry consultationPublication . Parada, H.; Veríssimo, C.; Brandão, João; Nunes, Baltazar; Boavida, J.; Duarte, R.; Peerally, Z.; Rosado, L.; Sabino, R.BACKGROUND: Diabetic patients are particularly susceptible to fungal infections due to modifications that occur in their immunological system. These modifications compromise natural defences, such as skin and nails, especially from lower limbs. OBJECTIVES: Assessing the presence of dermatomycosis in lower limbs of Portuguese diabetic patients followed on Podiatry consultation. Determination of possible predisposing factors and the most frequent fungal species associated with the cases are included in the study. METHODS AND PATIENTS: A six-month prospective study was carried out in 163 diabetic patients with signs and symptoms of dermatomycosis followed by Podiatry at the Portuguese Diabetes Association in Lisbon. Samples from the skin and/or nails of the lower limbs were collected and demographic and clinical data of those patients were recorded. RESULTS: Trichophyton rubrum was the most frequently isolated dermatophyte (12.1%), followed by T. mentagrophytes (7.7%) and T. tonsurans (4.4%). Our study showed positive associations between type 2 diabetes and the presence of dermatomycosis in the studied population (p=0.013); also between the occurrence of dermatomycosis and localization of body lesion (p=0.000). No other predisposing factor tested was positively associated with infection (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Data on superficial fungal infections in diabetic patients are scarce in Portugal. This study provides information on the characterization of dermatomycosis in lower limbs of diabetic patients.
- Detection of cryptic species of Aspergillus with reduced susceptibility to antifungal agents in hospitalsPublication . Sabino, Raquel; Viegas, C.; Veríssimo, C.; Carolino, E.; Brandão, João; Simões, H.; Martins, C.; Clemons, K.V.; Stevens, D.A.Invasive aspergillosis is a fungal infection caused by Aspergillus spp. affecting mainly the immunocompromised. The mortality rate may reach 85%. Aspergillus identification should be based on molecular methods as there are species morphologically similar but distinct at the molecular level (cryptic species), with variable antifungal susceptibility profiles.
- Estudo de Comunidades Fúngicas em Arquivos: Implicações na Conservação e na SaúdePublication . Pinheiro, A.C.; Viegas, C.; Jurado, V.; Sabino, R.; Veríssimo, C.; Rosado, L.; Macedo, M.F.A influência da contaminação fúngica para a saúde ambiental e para a conservação do património é o tema premente e actual que suscitou a hipótese de estudo aqui apresentada. Os fungos, dada a sua extrema capacidade de adaptação, podem colonizar diversos materiais – orgânicos ou não – e a sua acção pode ser mecânica, por intermédio das suas hifas ou química, através dos seus metabolitos.Em termos de conservação do património, os estudos sobre fungos têm suscitado grande interesse dada a sua elevada capacidade de biodeterioração. Tendo inicialmente assentado em técnicas tradicionais de cultur), os estudos mais recentes já incluem técnicas modernas de biologia molecular. O estudo apresentado utiliza ambas as técnicas: a tradicional, recorrendo a meios de cultura e a mais recente, usando o DNA e a amplificação genómica para conseguir identificar os fungos até à espécie. Para conseguir realizar este intuito foi desenvolvida a aplicação da recente técnica de cromatografia líquida desnaturante de alta resolução (DHPLC) à análise de amostras complexas de fungos filamentosos e leveduriformes.A investigação executada permitiu identificar focos de contaminação fúngica que ultrapassam os limites aconselháveis em termos de qualidade do ar interior. As espécies Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus ou Stachybotrys atra, todos eles encontrados em ambiente arquivístico são presenças relevantes em termos de qualidade do ar interior pois são indicadoras de más condições ambientais.A optimização da aplicação de cromatografia desnaturante à mistura de leveduras e fungos filamentos permite identificar os componentes da mistura e pode ser usada no contexto clínico e no contexto ambiental, em amostras de papel ou noutro tipo de amostras.
- Fungal contaminants – a paradoxal void in safety regulation of drinking water and recreational areasPublication . Sabino, R.; Novak Babič, M.; Gunde-Cimerman, N.; Veríssimo, C.; Viegas, C.; Várgha, M.; Meyer, W.; Brandão, J.Although exposure to fungi and their metabolites, by inhalation, contact and ingestion has often been addressed, it rarely made way into safety regulation. The EU drinking water directive 98/83/EC and the national legislation in the European countries - with very few exceptions - fails to address fungi explicitly. The same is valid also for European regulatory Directive 2006/7/EC, currently undergoing its second revision with no plan to introduce fungi, yet again. Both Directives address microbiological safety of drinking and bathing / recreational waters by monitoring of bacterial parameters indicating faecal contamination, and correlating with gastro-intestinal illness but leaving behind other microbes and several emerging pathogens and other pathologies. This study assesses the European drinking and bathing water regulations and sand; it evaluates background information, and underpinning missing fungal parameters that (may) affect human health.
- Fungal Contamination in Swine: A Potential Occupational Health ThreatPublication . Viegas, C.; Carolino, E.; Sabino, R.; Viegas, S.; Veríssimo, C.Poor air quality in a pig-confinement building may potentially place farmers at higher health risk than other workers for exposure to airborne pollutants that may reach infectious levels. The aim of this study was to assess worker exposure to fungi in indoor environments in Portuguese swine buildings. Air samples from 7 swine farms were collected at a flow rate of 140 L/min, at 1 m height, onto malt extract agar supplemented with chloramphenicol (MEA). Surfaces samples of the same indoor sites were obtained by swabbing the surfaces. Samples from the floor covering were also collected from four of seven swine farms. All collected samples were incubated at 27◦C for 5–7 days. After lab processing and incubation of obtained samples, quantitative colony-forming units (CFU)/m3, CFU/cm2, and CFU/g and qualitative results were determined with identification of isolated fungal species. Aspergillus versicolor was the most frequent species found in air (21%), followed by Scopulariopsis brevicaulis (17%) and Penicillium sp. (14%). Aspergillus versicolor was also the most frequent species noted on surfaces (26.6%), followed by Cladosporium sp. (22.4%) and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis (17.5%). Chrysosporium was the most frequently found genera in the new floor covering (38.5%), while Mucor was the most prevalent genera (25.1%) in used floor covering. Our findings corroborate a potential occupational health threat due to fungi exposure and suggest the need for a preventive strategy.
- Fungal contamination in swine: a potential occupational health threatPublication . Viegas, C.; Carolino, E.; Sabino, R.; Viegas, S.; Veríssimo, C.Poor air quality in a pig-confinement building may potentially place farmers at higher health risk than other workers for exposure to airborne pollutants that may reach infectious levels. The aim of this study was to assess worker exposure to fungi in indoor environments in Portuguese swine buildings. Air samples from 7 swine farms were collected at a flow rate of 140 L/min, at 1 m height, onto malt extract agar supplemented with chloramphenicol (MEA). Surfaces samples of the same indoor sites were obtained by swabbing the surfaces. Samples from the floor covering were also collected from four of seven swine farms. All collected samples were incubated at 27◦C for 5–7 days. After lab processing and incubation of obtained samples, quantitative colony-forming units (CFU)/m3, CFU/cm2, and CFU/g and qualitative results were determined with identification of isolated fungal species. Aspergillus versicolor was the most frequent species found in air (21%), followed by Scopulariopsis brevicaulis (17%) and Penicillium sp. (14%). Aspergillus versicolor was also the most frequent species noted on surfaces (26.6%), followed by Cladosporium sp. (22.4%) and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis (17.5%). Chrysosporium was the most frequently found genera in the new floor covering (38.5%), while Mucor was the most prevalent genera (25.1%) in used floor covering. Our findings corroborate a potential occupational health threat due to fungi exposure and suggest the need for a preventive strategy.