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.
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