Environmental mycological quality in Cuban archives and its impact on the personnel's health

Authors

Keywords:

environmental mycological quality, environmental fungi, nasal mycobiota, occupational hazard, allergic sensitization

Abstract

Introduction: The mycological quality of the indoor environment has been related to the appearance of allergies and other diseases due to the intense and persistent exposure to biological agents. The aim of this work was to assess the importance of the research carried out at the National Archive of Cuba over the last 8 years related to environmental mycological quality and its impact on the health of personnel. Methods: The results obtained were compared with those published in the last 10 years by experts from other countries related to the subject. Results: The evaluated environments showed variable qualities since the concentrations obtained in the air, dust and surfaces have been diverse. The predominant genera in the three ecological niches were Aspergillus, Cladosporium and Penicillium, although there are new records (genera and species) for each niche studied, so the results obtained are a world reference. The determination of fungal species in the nasal mucosa of the archive staff constitutes the first study in Cuba. Coincidentally, a predominance of the genera Aspergillus, Cladosporium and Penicillium was obtained. 40,3 % of the personnel showed positive skin sensitivity to one or more fungal extracts. 54,2 % of the workers reported incidence of more than one disease with a predominance of asthma. The time of exposure of workers to the more or less contaminated environment of the archive (9 to 12 years) facilitates the nasal colonization of fungal species that can lead to the triggering or exacerbation of allergic states such as asthma and rhinitis.

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Author Biography

Sofia Flavia Borrego Alonso, Archivo Nacional de la República de Cuba.

Dra. en Ciencias Biológicas, Investigadora y profesora Titular, Jefa del laboratorio de Conservación Preventiva.

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Published

2021-09-07

How to Cite

Borrego Alonso, S. F., Herrera Barrios, O., & Paneque Rodríguez, I. (2021). Environmental mycological quality in Cuban archives and its impact on the personnel’s health. Anales De La Academia De Ciencias De Cuba, 11(3), e1038. Retrieved from https://revistaccuba.sld.cu/index.php/revacc/article/view/1038

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 3 (2021): septiembre-diciembre

Section

Biomedical sciences

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