Abstract

Objective: The ambient air quality within educational institutions significantly influences the health and well-being of students, educators, and all associated personnel, thereby impacting the broader community's health. This investigation aimed to isolate and identify airborne pathogenic and opportunistic fungi in the educational settings of Sana'a city, Yemen. Methods: The research encompassed four distinct educational structures: a government-run middle school for girls (School 1), a government-run middle school for boys (School 2), a private high school for girls (School 3), and a private high school for boys (School 4). Utilizing the open plate technique, a total of 64 air samples were meticulously collected from various departments within these institutions, properly labeled, and subsequently transported to a laboratory for detailed examination and analysis employing standardized microbiological methodologies. Through morphological and microscopic examination techniques, a diversity of fungal isolates was identified. Results: The findings disclosed the isolation of 50 pathogenic and opportunistic fungal isolates across the four schools in Sana'a, distributed as follows: 10 isolates (20%) from School 1, 18 isolates (36%) from School 2, 8 isolates (16%) from School 3, and 14 isolates (28%) from School 4. Notably, School 2 harbored the highest number of isolates at 36%, while School 3 exhibited the lowest at 16%. A statistically significant variation (P<0.05) was observed among the fungal isolates and the schools. Of the total isolates, only 11 (22%) were identified as pathogenic, whereas 39 (78%) were classified as opportunistic fungi. These comprised eight fungal genera: Rhizopus, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Curvularia, Penicillium, Alternaria, Trichophyton, and Chrysosporium, with respective frequencies of 7 (14%), 3 (6%), 21 (42%), 2 (4%), 11 (22%), 3 (6%), 1 (2%), and 2 (4%). Aspergillus was the most prevalent genus 2 identified, whereas Trichophyton was the least prevalent. No significant differences (P<0.05) were noted among these fungal genera. Furthermore, the distribution of pathogenic fungi across the schools was as follows: 3 (6%) in School 1, 5 (10%) in School 2, 1 (2%) in School 3, and 2 (4%) in School 4, with no significant variance observed among the schools regarding pathogenic fungi prevalence. The investigation highlighted a predominant presence of pathogenic fungi within classroom sections (CR) compared to teachers' rooms (TR). Conclusions: The study elucidates the presence of various pathogenic fungi within school environments in Sana'a, underscoring the necessity for enhanced hygiene practices in these educational establishments.