Susceptibility pattern among pathogenic species of Aspergillus to physical and chemical treatments

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2006

Authors

Ricardo Araujo (Author) Other; rodrigues, ag (Author) FMUP; pina-vaz, c (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: Medical Mycology

Vol. 44

Pages: 439-443

ISSN: 1369-3786

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 17 Citations

Scopus - 19 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-004-J9C

DOI: 10.1080/13693780600654414

Abstract (EN): Physical treatments, like heating or irradiation, may reduce the viability or eradicate Aspergillus conidia, which in turn might help to prevent infections by members of this genus. Chemical treatments can also prevent infection resulting from contaminated hospital fabrics or surfaces. Our objectives were to study the kinetics of survival of the conidia of pathogenic Aspergillus species, like A. fumigatus, A. flavus and A. niger, during exposure to heating at 60 degrees C and microwave irradiation. In addition, we evaluated the susceptibility patterns of Aspergillus conidia to such chemical agents as cupric sulphate and sodium hypochlorite. Heating the conidia of A. flavus and A. niger at 60 degrees C for 45 min was found to be fungicidal (reduction > 10(4) conidia/ml), but was not with A. fumigatus conidia. Short periods of microwave irradiation (40 s) resulted in a significant reduction of the viability of the conidia of these three Aspergillus species as a result of lethal membrane lesions. All Aspergillus species were similarly susceptible to cupric sulphate and sodium hypochlorite. Therefore, heating, microwave and the chemical treatments tested impaired significantly the viability of Aspergillus conidia, supporting the use of these methods as preventive measures among patients at risk.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 5