Fungal flora of hearing aid moulds and ear canal in hearing aid wearers in school children in Ahvaz, Iran (2008)

authors:

avatar Ali Zarei Mahmoudabadi ORCID 1 , * , avatar Hassan Abshirini 2 , avatar Rozita Rahimi 2

Department of Medical Mycoparasitology,School of Medicine, and Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center,Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, zarei40@hotmail.com, Iran
Department of ENT,School of Medicine,Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Iran
Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology: Vol.2, issue 1; 22-24
article type: Research Article
received: November 1, 2008
accepted: January 1, 2009

how to cite: Zarei Mahmoudabadi A, Abshirini H, Rahimi R. Fungal flora of hearing aid moulds and ear canal in hearing aid wearers in school children in Ahvaz, Iran (2008). Jundishapur J Microbiol. 2009;2(1): 22-24. 

Abstract

The aim of study was to determine the presence and nature of fungal flora on hearing aid ear moulds and ear canal in hearing aid wearers. Only ‘behind the ear’ (BTE) acrylic hearing aid moulds were included in this study. Hearing aid ear moulds and ear canal were swabbed and samples were cultured on Sabouraud's dextrose agar to determine qualitatively and quantitatively the mycoflora present. Seventeen out of 120 (14.2%) BTE wearers had different fungi in their hearing aids or ear canal. The most common fungi were Aspergillus niger (eight cases) followed by A. flavus (three cases), Rhizopus (three cases), Penicillium (two cases) and C. albicans (three cases). BTE wearers have a varied fungal flora on their ear moulds and ears canal. The fungal flora, including recognized pathogen that colonizes ear canal may lead to otomycosis.

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