AIRSPORA OF DURBAN - A SUBTROPICAL, COASTAL SOUTH-AFRICAN CITY .2. FUNGAL SPORE COMPONENT

The atmospheric fungal spores of Durban have been monitored since 1989, using a Burkard sampler. Results for the three-year period, from 1989-1991, showed that fungi were present in the atmosphere throughout the year. Two peaks were recorded, the major one in late summer/autumn, and a lesser one in late spring. Cladosporium was the major component of the fungal spectrum, with highest counts measured in the winter. Categories of undifferentiated ascospores and basidiospores constituted the bulk of the remainder of the assemblage. Although counts for individual taxa seldom attained threshold levels for allergy, combined counts did, in fact, exceed such levels. This may be more pertinent in the case of multiple sensitivities to fungal allergens.