Prevalence of potentially pathogenic fungi in the bathing sites of the Sulejow Reservoir

Progressive degradation of water ecosystems may contribute to the propagation of fungi pathogenic to humans and animals. The aim of this study was a quantitative evaluation and identification of species of potentially pathogenic fungi in the littoral zone of the Sulejów Reservoir used as recreation site. We studied samples of surface water and sediments collected from 6 sampling sites of the reservoir in the years 2000 and 2001. In 2000, fungi were isolated from 82.7% of samples, while in 2001 from as many as 95.4%. There were 28 species representing genera: Candida, Cryptococcus, Geotrichum, Kloeckera, Rhodotorula, Saccharomyces, and Trichosporon. The most common species were Rhodotorula glutinis and Candida guilliermondii. The density of the population of identified species depended on the season and sampling site and ranged from 80 to 328000 cells/dm³ (also uncountable growth). The waters of the Sulejów Reservoir may be a covenient place of anamorphic developmental forms, for the 15 cultured species which can also propagate in humans and other mammals.