Distribution characteristics of fungi on surfaces in the hospital environment: What have we overlooked?
9 affiliations
- 1Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- 2Department of Infection Prevention and Control Management, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- 3Department of Nursing, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- 4School of Public Health, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- 5Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
- 6Sinopharm Dongfeng General Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- 7Hubei Engineering Center for Infectious Disease Prevention, Control and Treatment, Wuhan, China
- 8Department of Logistics Support, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- 9Department of Infection Prevention and Control, West China Women's and Children’s Hospital, Chengdu, China
Abstract
Hospital environmental fungal contamination is a significant cause of healthcare-associated fungal infections, which are associated with high mortality rates in immunocompromised populations. However, current understanding of the distribution characteristics and high-risk colonization sites of fungi on hospital inanimate surfaces remains limited, hindering the development of targeted infection control strategies. A cross-sectional study was conducted in December 2024 in a large tertiary care hospital in central China. Using two-stage stratified sampling, 100 environmental surface samples were collected from 10 clinical departments. All samples underwent fungal culture and quantification, and culture-positive samples were further analyzed by 18S rRNA sequencing to characterize fungal community composition. A total of 20% of samples were culture-positive for fungi, and 7% exceeded the ECDC-recommended threshold of 5 colony-forming units per square centimeter (CFU/cm²). Water-related surfaces showed the highest culture-positive rate (32.1%), with the highest individual count observed in an endocrinology department handwashing pool (15 CFU/cm2), followed by air disinfection machine vents and faucets. Aspergillus was the dominant genus (43.8% of isolates), and 70% of identified genera included WHO-listed priority pathogenic fungi. Water-related surfaces and ventilation equipment outlets are high-risk sites for fungal colonization. Current cleaning protocols are insufficient for these areas, requiring enhanced targeted surveillance and disinfection to reduce healthcare-associated fungal infection risk.
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BibTeX
@article{he2026distribution,
title = {{Distribution characteristics of fungi on surfaces in the hospital environment: What have we overlooked?}},
author = {Wenbin He and Fan Cheng and Xiaoyan Chen and Nuo Chen and Ying Zhang and Yan Li and Yibin Tan and Wenwen Wu and Bilong Feng and Xiaofeng Lin and Xiaokang Huang and Weilong Zhou and Ying Wang},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0360522},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0360522},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Distribution characteristics of fungi on surfaces in the hospital environment: What have we overlooked?
AU - Wenbin He
AU - Fan Cheng
AU - Xiaoyan Chen
AU - Nuo Chen
AU - Ying Zhang
AU - Yan Li
AU - Yibin Tan
AU - Wenwen Wu
AU - Bilong Feng
AU - Xiaofeng Lin
AU - Xiaokang Huang
AU - Weilong Zhou
AU - Ying Wang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/04
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0360522
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0360522
AB - Hospital environmental fungal contamination is a significant cause of healthcare-associated fungal infections, which are associated with high mortality rates in immunocompromised populations. However, current understanding of the distribution characteristics and high-risk colonization sites of fungi on hospital inanimate surfaces remains limited, hindering the development of targeted infection control strategies. A cross-sectional study was conducted in December 2024 in a large tertiary care hospital in central China. Using two-stage stratified sampling, 100 environmental surface samples were collected from 10 clinical departments. All samples underwent fungal culture and quantification, and culture-positive samples were further analyzed by 18S rRNA sequencing to characterize fungal community composition. A total of 20% of samples were culture-positive for fungi, and 7% exceeded the ECDC-recommended threshold of 5 colony-forming units per square centimeter (CFU/cm²). Water-related surfaces showed the highest culture-positive rate (32.1%), with the highest individual count observed in an endocrinology department handwashing pool (15 CFU/cm2), followed by air disinfection machine vents and faucets. Aspergillus was the dominant genus (43.8% of isolates), and 70% of identified genera included WHO-listed priority pathogenic fungi. Water-related surfaces and ventilation equipment outlets are high-risk sites for fungal colonization. Current cleaning protocols are insufficient for these areas, requiring enhanced targeted surveillance and disinfection to reduce healthcare-associated fungal infection risk.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -