Indoor Fungal Diversity in Hospital Wards and Its Biocontrol Using Medicinal Essential Oils

This study estimated the diversity and prevalence of airborne fungi in indoor environments of governmental, fever, and chest hospitals during winter and summer of 2019 and 2020 and evaluated the biological control of some isolated fungi. From 780 air samples collected across departments like ICU, dialysis, pediatric, surgery and others, 20 fungal species belonging to 13 genera were isolated on Sabouraud's-agar media and were identified microscopically. Aspergillus species particularly A. niger, A. flavus, and A. versicolor were most prevalent, with the highest fungal load recorded in summer. To evaluate the antifungal efficacy, three essential oils: basil, dill, and lemongrass, at concentrations ranging from 5 to 100 µg have been tested. All selected fungi were completely inhibited at 100 µg, with lemongrass and basil oils showing superior antifungal activity compared to dill, especially against Aspergillus, Fusarium, Cladosporium, and Alternaria. These findings emphasize the seasonal impact on indoor fungal contamination in hospitals and highlight the potential of medicinal plant oils as eco-friendly, natural alternatives for fungal control, particularly in settings with immunocompromised patients.