Yeast-like fungi isolated from indoor air in school buildings and the surrounding outdoor air

Abstract

A total of 111 isolates of yeast-like fungi and yeasts belonging to 40 species of 19 genera were identified in indoor air and outdoor air. Only one species, Kluyveromyces marxianus, was recorded in both types of air and seasons (spring and autumn). Kluyveromyces lactis and Yarrowia lipolytica, a species having the greatest symbiotic abilities, dominated in indoor air and outdoor air, respectively. Intensely used rooms, especially those with limited access of air, have the broadest range of species of yeast-like fungi. A comparison of both habitats shows that school rooms pose a greater epidemiological risk of yeast-like infections than outdoor air. The indoor as well as outdoor mycobiota undergoes phenological changes although it is determined by other biotic and abiotic factors.