{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T20:08:19Z","timestamp":1791230899443,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,9]],"date-time":"2025-05-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1746748800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Poor air quality within hospitals can contribute to a range of health issues, collectively known as sick hospital syndrome, encompassing respiratory, skin, and nonspecific symptoms. Aspergillus poses a significant risk of severe respiratory infections, particularly within intensive care unit (ICU) patients often with compromised immune systems. This study was conducted in the intensive care units of three selected hospitals in Cracow, Poland. Air samples were obtained using the single-stage impactor MAS-100 NT Ex (Merck). The air samples were taken from each ward, seasonally, four times a year. Sampling of intensive care units\u2019 air for Aspergillus revealed the significant diversity in fungal concentration and unveiled seasonal fluctuations in culturable fungi levels. The highest concentration of Aspergillus species complexes was detected during autumn, while the lowest was in spring. The disturbing occurrence of Aspergillus in hospitals\u2019 air emphasizes the importance of monitoring fungal air bioburden and assessing air control efficiency and highlights the urgent need to develop and validate microbiological standards for fungal air contamination in hospitals.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms13051099","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,9]],"date-time":"2025-05-09T09:56:19Z","timestamp":1746784579000},"page":"1099","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Monitoring the Occurrence of Aspergillus in the Air of Intensive Care Units"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8037-5862","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anna","family":"Inglot","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Postgraduate Student at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika Street 45, 31-501 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4179-6730","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Agnieszka","family":"Gniadek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing Management and Epidemiological Nursing, Institute of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika Street 45, 31-501 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2958-4412","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zuzanna","family":"Tokarz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infection Control and Mycology, Chair of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Czysta Street 18, 31-008 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0452-295X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wirginia","family":"Krzy\u015bciak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna Street 9, 30-688 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2196-3573","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Monika","family":"Papie\u017c","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cytobiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna Street 9, 30-688 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2554-9409","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pawe\u0142","family":"Krzy\u015bciak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infection Control and Mycology, Chair of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Czysta Street 18, 31-008 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"49","article-title":"Airborne Fungi in Workplace Atmospheres: Overview of Active Sampling and Offline Analysis Methods Used in 2009\u20132019","volume":"Volume 2","author":"Zaragoza","year":"2021","journal-title":"Encyclopedia of Mycology"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"281","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ibiod.2007.07.016","article-title":"Multivariate analysis of fungal association in the indoor air of Argentinean houses","volume":"62","author":"Aringoli","year":"2008","journal-title":"Int. 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