A limited work is currently available on the incidence of entomopathogenic and other potentially opportunistic pathogens in carpet dust in residential houses and mosques. The aim of the study was to isolate fungi from carpet dust using modified medium based on oatmeal agar (OTA) amended with cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and cyclohexamide. Identification of the species was based on the cultural and micro-morphological characteristics of their reproductive structures. The study revealed the isolation and identification of 30 species from carpet dust in houses and 24 species from carpet dusts in mosques in addition to yeasts and non-sporulating mycelia. Three entomopathogenic species assigned to Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Purpureocillium lilacinum were detected. Dermatophytes and related keratinophilic fungi were represented by species in the genera Chrysosporium, Gymnoascus and Microsporum. Several species of opportunistic pathogens that can tolerate a high level of cyclohexamide including species in the genera Acaulium, Alternaria, Arthrographis, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Cunninghamella, Fusarium, Geomyces, Geotrichum, Microascus, Myceliophthora, Penicillium, Phaeoacremonium, Rhizopus, Scopulariopsis, Sordaria, Stachybotrys, Syncephalastrum and Trichoderna were also detected.

One hundred samples of carpet dusts (50 samples from residential houses and 50 samples from mosques) were collected from different sites in Duhok province during the year 2014 to 2015 for the objective of the study of the occurrence of keratinolytic and other potentially pathogenic fungi using hair baiting method. A total of 24 fungal species (17 species from house dust) and (12 species from mosque dust) in addition to non-sporulating mycelia and yeasts were isolated and identified. The keratinolytic species Arthroderma cuniculi, Chrysosporium tropicum and Gymnoascus ressii were detected. Potentially pathogenic fungi in the genera Aspergillus, Arthrographis, Geomyces, Microascus, Scopulariopsis and Neoscytalidium were also able to colonize and grow on baited hairs.

One hundred samples of carpet dusts (50 samples from residential houses and 50 samples from mosques) were surveyed for the presence of the potentially pathogenic fungi Microascus/Scopulariopsis species complex (Microascales:Ascomycota). The samples were collected from different sites in Duhok province,Kurdistan region,Iraq, during September, 2014 to May, 2015. Four species of Microascus (M.brunneosporus, M.cirrosus, M.pyramidus and M.paisii) and three species of Scopulariopsis (S.asperula, S.brevccaulis and S.flava) were identified. Acaulium acremonium (=Scopulariopsis acremonium) was also detected. The diagnostic features of the reported species based on micro-morphological features of their reproductive structures were provided. M.brunneosporus represents a new record for the Iraqi mycobiota. The identified species were reported in several publications as potentially pathogenic to human