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1 July 2009 Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as Carriers of Fungi in Hospital Environments: An Emphasis on the Genera Tapinoma and Pheidole
L.D.M. Pantoja, R. E. Moreira Filho, E.H.S. Brito, T. B. Aragão, R.S.N. Brilhante, R. A. Cordeiro, M.F.G. Rocha, A. J. Monteiro, Y. P. Quinet, J.J.C. Sidrim
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Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of filamentous fungi and yeasts on the external surface of ants at hospitals. From March 2007 to February 2008, 2,899 ants were evaluated in two public hospitals in the city of Fortaleza, Ceará, in northeastern Brazil. The ants were attracted by nontoxic baits, distributed within critical and semicritical hospital areas. The fungi were identified through macro-and micromorphological analysis, biochemical profile, and growth in chromogenic medium. From this study, 5 genera and 13 species of ants were identified, from critical (8% of the collected ants) and semicritical (92%) areas, during the daytime (48%) and nighttime (52%) periods. In the mycological analysis, 75% of the ants were fungi carriers, with the species Tapinoma melanocephalum and species from the genus Pheidole having the most potential as carriers of airborne fungi (75 and 18%, respectively) and yeasts (6 and 1%, respectively). In summary, ants act as carriers of airborne fungi and yeasts, including some pathogenic species.

L.D.M. Pantoja, R. E. Moreira Filho, E.H.S. Brito, T. B. Aragão, R.S.N. Brilhante, R. A. Cordeiro, M.F.G. Rocha, A. J. Monteiro, Y. P. Quinet, and J.J.C. Sidrim "Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as Carriers of Fungi in Hospital Environments: An Emphasis on the Genera Tapinoma and Pheidole," Journal of Medical Entomology 46(4), 895-899, (1 July 2009). https://doi.org/10.1603/033.046.0423
Received: 3 June 2008; Accepted: 14 November 2008; Published: 1 July 2009
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KEYWORDS
ants
Fungi
hospital environment
Pheidole
Tapinoma
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