BIOLOGICAL FLUIDS INFLUENCE IN Candida albicans VIABILITY ON DIFFERENT HOSPITAL SURFACES AND FOMITES

Candida consists of yeast fungi constituent of the microbiota of the genitourinary and gastrointestinal tract of humans and has its medical relevance for being an opportunistic pathogen. Candida albicans has virulence factors that allow its fixation, maintenance and multiplication for long periods in abiotic surfaces and the contact with the fluids coming from our organism will provide factors favorable to the fungal growth. Their persistence under these conditions makes the abiotic surfaces possible reservoirs for contamination and cross infection, especially in a hospital environment. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to identify the viability of C. albicans from the survival time on abiotic surfaces and common interferences to hospital environments with the presence and absence of biological fluids. The standard strain ATCC 26790 of Candida albicans belonging to the stock collection of the Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology of Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE) was used in the study. This was reactivated and inoculated at the 1.0 McFarland concentration on surfaces and fomites: ceramic floor, egg box mattress, synthetic fiber fabric and cotton fiber fabric. Subsequently, these were influenced by the biological fluids: urine, saliva and blood, containing a control and the use of distilled water. Viability was quantified by sowing on Sabouraud Dextrose agar after 24 hours, 72 hours and every 7 days until the 21st day of contamination with the standard dilution at 10-3. C. albicans showed to be viable until the 14th day in the cotton and synthetic fibers tissues in the absence of biological fluids, being able to persist for 21 days in cotton fabrics, synthetic fibers and floor when under blood influence. In contact with saliva, yeast was able to remain viable for 7 days on all surfaces tested and low viability was identified in relation to yeast exposure with urine on all surfaces. The results demonstrated the survival capacity of the yeast in a mimicry of the hospital environment with influence of the fluids that can be found in this, evidencing the concern with the establishment of strategies for the elimination and prevention of C. albicans infections to reduce rates of infection related to health care