Abstract

ZUIANI, María Fernanda  and  BAVA, Amadeo Javier. Search of Malassezia spp. in hospitalary personnel in contact with oncohematology patients. Acta bioquím. clín. latinoam. [online]. 2006, vol.40, n.2, pp.219-222. ISSN 0325-2957.

The presence of Malassezia species was investigated in the skin of 14 human voluntaries (physicians and nurses) of the Haematology Service of the "Sor María Ludovica" Hospital of La Plata city. Samples were obtained with a sterile gauze pad moistened with sterile saline from skin of palm, finger and interdigital webbings of the right hand from each voluntary. The samples were cultured on Dixon and Sabouraud agar plates and incubated at 32 °C during 7 days. The colonies developed on both media, the one suspected as Malassezia and the other fungal species, were studied to determine genera and specie. No colonies of Malassezia grew in the Dixon plates, while different fungal species developed in the agar Sabouraud plates. The absence of Malassezia species in the investigated samples was coincident with the lack of isolation of these species from clinical simples belonging to patients assisted in the studied wards. Additionally, different routes of infection for Malassezia species, other than the hands of the personnel in contact with the patients, will have to be evaluated in future.

Keywords : Malassezia; Malassezia pachydermatis; zoonotic mycoses; cross infection.

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