Detecção de espécies fúngicas em equipamentos de academias de ginástica no município de Cuité - PB, Brasil.

Abstract

Gyms, are places with a large flow of people, who share different equipment. The latter, if not properly sanitized, may be contaminared by microorganisms, such as fungi. Thus, this study aimed to verify the prevalence of fungi in gym equipament in the city of Cuité, Paraíba. For this purpose, collections were carried out, using five different equipaments, in three gyms, using sterile swabs moistened with sterile saline solution. The samples were then cultured in Sabouraud Dextrose Agar and incubated for up to 14 days. After this period, macroscopic and microscopic analyzes were perfomed to identify the fungal species. The most frequent filamentous fungi in the samples were Cladosporium spp. (12,27%) followed by Mycelia sterilia (9,01%) and Alternaria spp. (2,72%). Fungi of the Cladosporium spp. genus are presente in the air, soil, decaying vegetation, even in the human microbiota, which explains their dissemination in the samples. Infections by this fungus are associated with pheohyphomycosis, superficial and deep localized infections, pneumonia, allergic disease, brain abscesso and disseminated infection. Based on the analysis, it can be seen that the use of antiseptic, in this case alcohol 70%, reduced the fungal load in the applied areas. Thus, it can be concluded that the most detected filamentous fungus was Cladosporium spp. and that no fungus of human-to-human transmission has been found, such as dermatophytes. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically clean the gym equipament, as well as the use of disposable tissues or papes towels, to prevent the microorganisms presente in the cleaning material from spreading, increasing the contamination surface, rather than being removed. After the end of the survey, individual reports were drawn up with the survey data and delivered to the respective managers, with the expectation of contributing of greater safety for gym attendees.