Les champignons de l'eau : maîtrise du risque d'infection fongique lié à l'eau

Yeasts and filamentous fungi can be present in the water. This fungal contamination has long been regarded as not becoming a major health problem, however, some hospital outbreaks due to Aspergillus sp., Fusarium sp. or Exophiala janselmei and the frequency of infections due to Pseudallescheria sp. when drowning, are there to attest to the risk of infection. The analytical method for searching fungi in the water is not standardized. The filtration of cold water, following by an incubation of the filter on a culture media at temperature close to 30° C is a possible approach. Full identification of fungi by sequencing to the species, such as A. calidoustus, opens perspectives for understanding the epidemiology of water-related infections. The situation of a hospital compared to another and the sources of contamination are variable depending on the origin of water : surface water, ground water, storage tanks as well as the nature and the age of the piping network … with qualitative and quantitative differences. The installation of devices on taps and shower filters is a method of prevention in the care units of at risk patients. The fungi can develop and interact with other microorganisms forming a biofilm and may therefore become resistant to different treatments. It may also be a link between the air and water contamination. The example of the risk analysis of dental units interested mainly Candida albicans as well as filamentous fungi. The knowledge of the habitat as water for fungi and their interactions with other microorganisms is still partial at the moment. Because fungal infections in immunocompromised patients are severe, control of water microbiological quality, including fungi, must not be neglected in care facilities.