Detection of molds in hospital water using water-filtration sampling methods
| Source of water . | Total positive sites/total tested sites (%) . | Molds recovered* . | Positive sites by mold . | Mean (range) concentration, CFU/L† . |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal water | 12/18 (67) | Penicillium | 6 | 7.4 (1-20) |
| Aspergillus | 6 | 1.9 (1-4) | ||
| Chaetomium | 2 | 1 (1-1) | ||
| Chrysonilia | 2 | 1 (1-1) | ||
| Water tanks | 33/40 (82) | Aspergillus | 30 | 5.2 (1-24) |
| Penicillium | 17 | 7.1 (1-20) | ||
| Alternaria | 10 | 2.7 (1-10) | ||
| Trichoderma | 8 | 2.2 (1-5) | ||
| Fusarium | 8 | 2.6 (1-9) | ||
| Paecilomyces | 7 | 9.9 (1-30) | ||
| Mucor | 4 | 1.8 (1-4) | ||
| Acremonium | 4 | 2.3 (1-5) | ||
| Chrysonilia | 3 | 2.7 (1-4) | ||
| Sinks | 104/162 (64) | Penicillium | 71 | 5.5 (1-20) |
| Aspergillus | 30 | 2.3 (1-20) | ||
| Showers | 144/196 (73) | Penicillium | 86 | 7.4 (1-20) |
| Aspergillus | 46 | 2.1 (1-20) | ||
| Paecilomyces | 27 | 10.3 (1-23) |
| Source of water . | Total positive sites/total tested sites (%) . | Molds recovered* . | Positive sites by mold . | Mean (range) concentration, CFU/L† . |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal water | 12/18 (67) | Penicillium | 6 | 7.4 (1-20) |
| Aspergillus | 6 | 1.9 (1-4) | ||
| Chaetomium | 2 | 1 (1-1) | ||
| Chrysonilia | 2 | 1 (1-1) | ||
| Water tanks | 33/40 (82) | Aspergillus | 30 | 5.2 (1-24) |
| Penicillium | 17 | 7.1 (1-20) | ||
| Alternaria | 10 | 2.7 (1-10) | ||
| Trichoderma | 8 | 2.2 (1-5) | ||
| Fusarium | 8 | 2.6 (1-9) | ||
| Paecilomyces | 7 | 9.9 (1-30) | ||
| Mucor | 4 | 1.8 (1-4) | ||
| Acremonium | 4 | 2.3 (1-5) | ||
| Chrysonilia | 3 | 2.7 (1-4) | ||
| Sinks | 104/162 (64) | Penicillium | 71 | 5.5 (1-20) |
| Aspergillus | 30 | 2.3 (1-20) | ||
| Showers | 144/196 (73) | Penicillium | 86 | 7.4 (1-20) |
| Aspergillus | 46 | 2.1 (1-20) | ||
| Paecilomyces | 27 | 10.3 (1-23) |
Aspergillus species included A niger(77%), A fumigatus (11%), A terreus (9%), andA flavus (3%). All the Paecilomyces species were P lilacinus. Three of 14 Fusarium species could be identified; all 3 were F solani.
Molds shown are those that accounted for ≥ 10% of positive water samples. Other molds recovered include Acremonium, Alternaria, Bipolaris, Chrysonilia, Cladosporium, Chrysosporium, Curvularia, Epicoccum, Mucor, Nigrospora, and Ulocladium species.
Represents the mean concentration of the positive cultures from the specified site.