Survey of the fungal flora and eye disease in the onion raised area in Southern Taiwan

• Main Authors: MJ Cheng, 陳美珠
• Other Authors: TN Wu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1999
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/51433420825336555402

碩士 === 高雄醫學院 === 職業安全衛生研究所 === 87 === Mycotic keratitis is an important ophthalmologic problem, especially for agricultural workers in the tropics and subtropics. A close relationship has been demonstrated between fungi in the environment and that causing mycotic keratitis. Between March and April 1997, 5 patients (onion harvesters) with corneal ulceration of mycotic infection were treated at Department of Ophthalmology of Kaohsiung Medical College Hospital. The further investigation of risk factors of these injuries. We studied the fungal flora of air-borne, soil, onion leaf, and skin from December 1997 to April 1998 in Southern Taiwan, the onion raised area. A total of 277 samples of air-borne, 55 samples of soil, 100 samples of onion leaf and 100 samples of onion skin from different localities were examined for the distribution of fungi. Samples were inoculated in Sabourand dextrose agar with and without 40mg/l chloramphenicol or Malt Extract Agar. 17 major fungal genera were found in onion area, these genera were Acremonium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Candida, Cladosporium, Curvalaria, Fusarium, Monilia, Mycerium, Papularia, Penicillium, Pythrium, Rhizoctonia, Rhizopus, Stemphylium, Trichoderma, Yeast。Cladosporin were the most frequently isolated in the air-borne followed by Aspergillus. Aspergillus was the most commonly isolated fungi organism in the soil and onion skin, the next common fungi organism seen were Cladosporium and Fusarium. However, Alterania and Cladosporium were the most frequently isolated in the onion leaf, followed by Aspergillus, Myceria, and Fusarium. The geometric mean concentrations of onion area include air-borne 144~2,683 CFU/m3 ( control 50~758 CFU/ m3), soil 2,675~15,600 CFU/g, onion leaf 500~1,88 CFU/g, and onion skin 2,433~3,917 CFU/g. We found the most fungi's concentration is higher during harvest period than before, also found higher in non-Monsoon area than Monsoon area. In questionnaire, eye disease in the one kilometer down was significantly higher than two kilometer up. Onion harvesters, including part time onion harvesters, is the most commonly associated eyes disease. Due to the prevalence of eye diseases in the onion harvesters southern Taiwan, we consider that education them to notice eye protection, hygiene education, and improving medical care to reduce the occurrence of eye diseases and avoid ocular trauma are very important.