Soil of Recreational Areas as a Reservoir of Keratinolytic Mould Fungi and Dermatophytes Potentially Pathogenic for Humans

The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of keratinophilic and keratinolytic fungi in the soil of recreational areas in Lodz, with a particular emphasis on species potentially pathogenic for humans. The material consisted of 104 soil samples collected from the surface layer and 10-15 cm below the surface at 26 recreational areas in Lodz. Soil samples were inoculated on Sabouraud, Czapek-Dox, and PDA media. In order to isolate the common dermatophytes from the collected soil, hair bait tests were prepared. From the collected soil samples, 83 species of fungi belonging to 53 genera were isolated. The most numerous were those of the genera Penicillium, Fusarium, and Cladosporium. Dermatophytes were isolated from 79 out of 104 of soil samples from 24 examined sites. They were classified into eight species from five genera. The most numerous was the genus Trichophyton. The presence of dermatophytes and mould fungi with keratinolytic properties in the soil of recreational areas may pose a significant risk to human health, especially for children and young teenagers. The results obtained in this study and an analysis of the literature suggests the need for monitoring the soil of places of active leisure for potentially pathogenic fungi species.