<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The air of animal dwellings can contain great amounts of bioaerosol composed of dust, bacteria, fungi, and endotoxins. The composition may depend on animal species, building construction, animal accommodation, and microclimate parameters, to name just a few factors. Pathogens contained may be a serious threat to animal and human health.The aim of our study was to analyse the fungi aerosol content in a stable housing dairy cows and in a coop for laying hens over the three autumn months of 2007. The air was sampled on Petri dishes with Sabouraud glucose agar. After laboratory treatment, we identified the most common fungi. Their count in the stable ranged from 3.98×103 CFU m-3 to 5.11×104 CFU m-3 and in the coop from 6.89 ×104 CFU m-3 to 1.13×105 CFU m-3. The difference between the two animal dwellings was statistically different at the level of p&lt;0.05. In both dwellings, the most common were the fungi <italic>Aspergillus</italic> sp., <italic>Penicillium</italic> sp., and yeasts, followed by <italic>Cladosporium</italic> sp., <italic>Fusarium</italic> sp., <italic>Mucor</italic> sp., <italic>Scopulariopsis</italic> sp., <italic>Alternaria</italic> sp., and <italic>Rhizopus</italic> sp.Our results are entirely in line with values reported in literature and are at the lower end of the range. They call for further investigation that would eventually lead to setting air quality standards for animal dwellings and to developing reliable monitoring systems in order to ensure safe food and safe environment.</abstract>

The air of animal dwellings can contain great amounts of bioaerosol composed of dust, bacteria, fungi, and endotoxins. The composition may depend on animal species, building construction, animal accommodation, and microclimate parameters, to name just a few factors. Pathogens contained may be a serious threat to animal and human health.The aim of our study was to analyse the fungi aerosol content in a stable housing dairy cows and in a coop for laying hens over the three autumn months of 2007. The air was sampled on Petri dishes with Sabouraud glucose agar. After laboratory treatment, we identified the most common fungi. Their count in the stable ranged from 3.98×103 CFU m-3 to 5.11×104 CFU m-3 and in the coop from 6.89 ×104 CFU m-3 to 1.13×105 CFU m-3. The difference between the two animal dwellings was statistically different at the level of p<0.05. In both dwellings, the most common were the fungi Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., and yeasts, followed by Cladosporium sp., Fusarium sp., Mucor sp., Scopulariopsis sp., Alternaria sp., and Rhizopus sp.Our results are entirely in line with values reported in literature and are at the lower end of the range. They call for further investigation that would eventually lead to setting air quality standards for animal dwellings and to developing reliable monitoring systems in order to ensure safe food and safe environment.

Airborne Fungi in Dwellings for Dairy Cows and Laying Hens

Department of Animal Hygiene, Environment and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Laboratory for Ecology, Croatian Veterinary Institute, Zagreb, Croatia

Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology

{"article-title":"Airborne Fungi in Dwellings for Dairy Cows and Laying Hens"}

The air of animal dwellings can contain great amounts of bioaerosol composed of dust, bacteria, fungi, and endotoxins. The composition may depend on animal...

Airborne Fungi in Dwellings for Dairy Cows and Laying Hens

Published Online: Jan 07, 2010

Page range: 395 - 399

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/10004-1254-60-2009-1970

Keywords
higijena zraka, mikroorganizmi iz zraka, okoliš, smještaj životinja

This content is open access.

Airborne Fungi in Dwellings for Dairy Cows and Laying Hens

Published Online: Jan 07, 2010

Page range: 395 - 399

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/10004-1254-60-2009-1970

Keywordshigijena zraka, mikroorganizmi iz zraka, okoliš, smještaj životinja

This content is open access.

Keywords
higijena zraka, mikroorganizmi iz zraka, okoliš, smještaj životinja