Volume 30, Issue 2, 2021
DOI: 10.24205/03276716.2020.4006
Pathogenic Fungal Flora of The Turkish Hammams(Bath)
Abstract
In Turkish society, hammams(baths) have an important place in social and cultural life as well as in cleaning up and health. Common facilities such as hammams, swimming baths and saunas are convenient for fungal contamination and colonization. However, according to our literature search, there is not enough study about Turkish baths. In Kahramanmara? where the bath culture is very common, there are 12 hammam(public baths). From different parts of the bath and common materials, 368 specimens were taken to search for fungal pathogens. Trichophyton rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, Epidermaphyton floccosum, Candida albicans, Alternaria sp. and Rhodotorula sp. were isolated from the slippers and floor covering of the clothing rooms. Mostly Aspergillus sp. along wtih Penicillium sp., Rhizopus sp., and Alternaria sp. were isolated from the specimens taken from the floor, walls, windows and seats of the baths. No fungal isolations from the heating stones and loincloths, the hottest parts of the baths, were obtained. As a result of this study, it was concluded that especially the carpets of the clothing places (68.4%), floors (46.4%) and common slippers (44.7%) in Turkish hammams(baths) in Kahramanmara? city center had fungal contamination and infection risk. This study demonstrate that Hammams existing a potential source of pathogenic fungi which may burden a real important on public health.
Keywords
Pathogenic fungi, hamam(bath), infection