Study of airborne allergenic fungal load in the rural indoor residential environment of Purulia district in West Bengal, India

Fungal spores play a significant role in respiratory allergies since they are present in the atmosphere most of the year. In this study, the fungal load in the indoor atmosphere of rural residential houses in Purulia district was determined in the year 2022-2023. A total concentration of culturable fungi was assessed as 6.87 × 10⁴ CFU.m^-3. <i>Aspergillus</i> sp. (9.00%), <i>Cladosporium</i> sp. (7.86%), <i>Penicillium</i> sp. (7.25%), <i>Fusarium</i> sp. (7.02%), and <i>Alternaria</i> sp. (6.71%) were the dominant fungal taxa found during this survey. The peak concentration of mould spores in the atmosphere was found in the monsoon (29.67%), whereas the lowest concentration was observed in summer (16.55%). Moreover, a positive correlation was found between the fungal load and relative humidity. In skin prick tests, maximum sensitization among the patients was recorded in <i>Aspergillus</i> sp. (46.40%), followed by <i>Cladosporium</i> sp. (41.60%), <i>Penicillium</i> sp. (38.40%), <i>Curvularia</i> sp. (33.60%), and <i>Alternaria</i> sp. (30.40%).