Abstract

Air and soil surrounding healthcare facilities are potential reservoirs of diverse fungi, some of which can have the potential to cause various kinds of mycoses. Some may harbor antifungal resistance genes (ARGs) which can pose therapeutic difficulty. This study evaluated the diversity of aerroterrestrial fungi around a health care facility in Port Harcourt and their antifungal resistance. Seventy-two (72) air and soil samples were collected over a period of twelve calendar months from July 2021 to June 2022. The isolated and identified fungal species were Acremonium radiatum, Aphanoascus flavascens, Chrysosporium tropicum, Colletotrichum fructicola, Fusarium solani, Microsporium canic, Penicillium aurantiogriseum, Peniciliium vanluykii, Phaeacremonium aleophilum, Scedosporium aurantiacum, Syncephalastrum racemosum, and Trichosporon asahii. The most abundant genus was Penicillium. Diversity indices revealed a rich and varied fungal community associated with the health facility, all of which demonstrated resistance to one or more antifungal drugs used for the study. Trihosporon asahii demonstrated multidrug resistance to all tested antifungal drugs, namely Ketoconazole, Nystatin, Fluconazole and Griseofulvin. All other fungi isolates were susceptible to Ketoconazole and Fluconazole, with intermediate susceptibility to Nystatin. Thus, the drugs of choice recommended for treatment are Ketoconazole and Fluconazole. The observation of several antifungal resistant fungi suggests the potential of the isolates harboring antifungal resistance genes in the environment. These findings highlight the importance and potential impact of aeroterrestrial fungi on human health, and a guide for future public health strategies for infection control, antifungal therapy, and the development of targeted interventions to mitigate the risk of mycoses in health care facilities.