Isolation of keratinophilic fungi from the floor dust of Arab kindergarten schools in the West Bank of Jordan.

The keratinophilic mycoflora of floor dust of seventy two classrooms in 24 kindergarten schools (children aged 2-5) in the city of Nablus was studied using a hair-baiting technique. The study was aimed at the evaluation of extent of diffusion of keratinophilic fungi in this environment in relation to human presence and the age of children in order to determine their role and impact in the epidemiology of human dermatophytoses. Thirty three species were isolated. A large proportion of these species are either well-known human and animal mycotic agents or have been isolated frequently from human and animal lesions. These pathogenic and potentially pathogenic fungi comprised about 85.8% of all keratinophilic fungal isolates found in the classroom dust. The results of this investigation have also been discussed in respect to previous studies on human dermatophytoses in the West Bank of Jordan.