英国真菌学会6月21日在其期刊《真菌生物学》上发表研究报告,称研究者在洗碗机内发现了先前不太熟悉的两种真菌。这两种真菌在自然界十分少见,它们独爱洗碗机内那种潮湿高温环境,而且不惧消毒剂。
研究者在全球六大洲101座城市189个家庭中的洗碗机内取样化验,结果均发现了这种名为“皮炎外瓶霉”的黑色素酵母菌和名为“Exophiala Phaeomuriformis”的真菌。
其中,65%的家用洗碗机出现这两种真菌的位置是洗碗机门的吸力胶条处。
研究报告说,这两种真菌“可对人体构成患病风险,可寄生在患者肺部,致使肺泡纤维化”。
这两种真菌在自然界中不多见。研究者认为,洗碗机内潮湿高温的独特小环境是它们普遍存在于洗碗机内的重要原因。报告说,家用洗碗机消毒剂对它们不产生杀灭效用,而且,它们在盐水、酸性液体、碱性液体环境中均可繁殖。
报告指出:“两种真菌的长期共存可能引发真菌间基因重组,从而生成新基因类型的未知真菌。”(生物谷Bioon.com)
生物谷推荐原文出处:
Fungal Biology DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2011.04.007
Dishwashers – A man-made ecological niche accommodating human opportunistic fungal pathogens
P. Zalar, M. Novak, G.S. de Hoog and N. Gunde-Cimerman
Habitats in human households may accommodate microorganisms outside the common spectrum of ubiquitous saprobes. Enrichment of fungi that may require specific environmental conditions was observed in dishwashers, 189 of which were sampled in private homes of 101 towns or communities. One-hundred-two were sampled from various localities in Slovenia; 42 from other European countries; 13 and 3 from North and South America, respectively; 5 from Israel; 10 from South Africa; 7 from Far East Asia; and 7 from Australia. Isolation was performed on samples incubated at 37 °C. Species belonging to genera Aspergillus, Candida, Magnusiomyces, Fusarium, Penicillium and Rhodotorula were found occasionally, while the black yeasts Exophiala dermatitidis and Exophiala phaeomuriformis (Chaetothyriales) were persistently and most frequently isolated. Sixty-two percent of the dishwashers were positive for fungi, and 56 % of these accommodated Exophiala. Both Exophiala species are known to be able to cause systemic disease in humans and frequently colonize the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis. We conclude that high temperature, high moisture and alkaline pH values typically occurring in dishwashers can provide an alternative habitat for species also known to be pathogenic to humans.