Recovery of filamentous fungi from water in a paediatric bone marrow transplantation unit

In order to determine whether water or water-related surfaces are a reservoir for opportunistic filamentous fungi, water sampling in the paediatric bone marrow transplantation (BRIT) unit of the National Hospital University of Oslo, Norway was performed. During a six-month period 168 water samples and 20 samples from water-related surfaces were taken. The water samples were taken from the taps and showers in the BMT unit and from the main pipe supplying the paediatric department with water. In addition, 20 water samples were taken at the intake reservoir supplying the city of Oslo with drinking water. Filamentous fungi were recovered from 94% of all the water samples taken inside the hospital with a mean colony forming unit (cfu) count of 2.7/500 mt of water. Aspergillus fumigatus was recovered from 49% and 5.6% of water samples from the taps and showers, respectively (mean 1.9 and 1.0 cfu/500 mt). More than one third (38.8%) of water samples from the main pipe revealed A. fumigatus (mean 2.1 cfu/500 mt). All water samples taken at the intake reservoir were culture positive for filamentous fungi, 85% of the water samples showed A. fumigatus (mean 3.1 cfu/500 mt). Twenty-five percent of water-related surfaces yielded filamentous fungi, but A. fumigatus was recovered from only two samples. We showed that filamentous fungi are present in the hospital water and to a lesser extent on water-related surfaces. The recovery of filamentous fungi in water samples taken at the intake reservoir suggests that the source of contamination is located outside the hospital. (C) 2001 The Hospital Infection Society.