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Seasonal variation of the dominant allergenic fungal aerosols - One year study from southern Indian region
Hema Priyamvada, M. Akila, Raghunathan Ravikrishna, ,
Published in Nature Publishing Group
2017
PMID: 28894264
Volume: 7
   
Issue: 1
Abstract
Quantitative estimations of fungal aerosols are important to understand their role in causing respiratory diseases to humans especially in the developing and highly populated countries. In this study we sampled and quantified the three most dominantly found allergenic airborne fungi, Aspergillus fumigatus, Cladosporium cladosporioides, and Alternaria alternata from ambient PM10 samples using the quantitative PCR (qPCR) technique in a southern tropical Indian region, for one full year. Highest concentrations of A. fumigatus and C. cladosporioides were observed during monsoon whereas A. alternata displayed an elevated concentration in winter. The meteorological parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and precipitation exhibited a substantial influence on the atmospheric concentrations of allergenic fungal aerosols. The morphological features of various allergenic fungal spores present in the PM10 were investigated and the spores were found to possess distinct structural features. In a maiden attempt over this region we correlate the ambient fungal concentrations with the epidemiological allergy occurrence to obtain firsthand and preliminary information about the causative fungal allergen to the inhabitants exposed to bioaerosols. Our findings may serve as an important reference to atmospheric scientists, aero-biologists, doctors, and general public. © 2017 The Author(s).
About the journal
JournalScientific Reports
PublisherNature Publishing Group
ISSN20452322
Open AccessYes
Concepts (21)
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    ALLERGEN
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    Aerosol
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    ALTERNARIA
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    Aspergillus fumigatus
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    CLADOSPORIUM
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    Human
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    India
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    Isolation and purification
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    Microbiology
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    Real time polymerase chain reaction
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    Season
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    Tropic climate
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    Aerosols
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    Air microbiology
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    Allergens
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    ALTERNARIA
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    CLADOSPORIUM
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    Humans
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    Real-time polymerase chain reaction
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    Seasons
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    Tropical climate