ABSTRACT - In a hospital environment, it is possible to find a huge variety of potentially
pathogenic microorganisms that can cause various diseases in patients. Hygiene practices and
surface cleaning practices are essential to control the spread of pathogens in this environment.
To promote decontamination and disinfection of the environment, broad-spectrum chemicals
must be used, which have little interference from organic matter, diluted correctly in accordance
with the Standard Operating Procedures for Hygiene and Disinfection. Studies on fungi in
veterinary hospital environments are scarce, and almost non-existent, therefore, the general
objective of the research is to evaluate the presence and fungical diversity and to evaluate the
effectiveness of disinfection in the pre-anesthetic medication room (MPA) and in the surgical
center (SC) of a university veterinary clinic, located in the north of Tocantins. Samples were
collected from objects belonging to MPA and CC, using swabs, before and immediately after
the environmental cleaning procedures. In the laboratory, the samples were cultivated in two
culture media: sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) and potato dextrose agar (BDA), added with 5%
chloramphenicol for isolation and purification of the fungi. Then, the microorganisms were
classified according to their macroscopic morphology, being grouped into morphotypes and
subjected to microculture for taxonomic elucidation. The results were analyzed by percentage,
chi-square test and diversity analysis using the Simpson (1-D), Shannon (H’) and Margalef
(DMg) diversity index. In total, 168 Colony Forming Units (CFU) were isolated, 123 before
cleaning and 45 after cleaning; 53 isolated in BDA and 115 in SDA, 124 from MPA and 44
from CC. Of this total, 106 CFU were dermatophytes, representing 63% of the total sample and
28 were anemophiles (16.7%). The collection site that presented the highest number of isolates
in the MPA and CC was the cabinet where 80 UFCs and 22 UFCs were isolated, respectively.
On the other hand, samples collected from the MPA pissette and handle and the CC surgical
focus did not show fungal growth. From the chi-square test it was observed that anemophilic
fungi, such as Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium showed greater affinity for growth in PDA
(p<0.05), while Trichophyton showed better growth in SDA (p<0. 05). From the alpha diversity
calculations, the diversity, uniformity and richness of fungal species was greater in the MPA
after cleaning (1-D = 0.69; H' = 1.433; DMg = 1.406) and in the CC before cleaning (1-D =
0.7892; H' = 1.76; DMg = 1.642). The results should be monitored with concern, since in the
MPA after cleaning, fungal diversity increased and there was no statistically significant
difference before and after cleaning in the environments (p>0.05), thus demonstrating that
cleaning is not being effective. As these spaces play a critical role in the health of animals, it is
up to the cleaning team and local managers to develop an action plan to inhibit the growth of
fungi, establish standards for diluting antiseptics, and carry out internal quality controls through
testing. frequent microbiological tests and conduct periodic training on the importance of
effective surface cleaning.
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