Studies on certain Airborne Microorganisms Associated with Allergic Diseases

Outdoor air sampler; were weekly collected in the period from August 1990 to July 1991 from the atmosphere of El-Amiryia, Cairo, from the outdoor air samples, thermophilic bacteria (Tb) and thermophilic actinomycetes (TA) were isolated and their viable counts were determined. The maximum number of TB was recorded during November 1990 (4.48 x 104 CFU / m2.h). The minimum viable; counts was recorded in Hay 1991 and reached 1.2 x 104 CFU/m2.h. On the other hand, the viable counts of TA was at highest during September 1990 (4.25 x 103 CFU/m2.h) and at lowest during March 1991 (1.55 x 103 CFU/m2.h)from the outdoor air samples, a number of 303 TA isolates was purified and identified. These isolates were distributed as Streptomyces SP. , 1 isolate (0.33); Saccharomonspora, 102 isolates (33.66 %) ; and Thermoactinomyces, 200 isolates (66.01%) . Identification of the isolates to the species level indicated that the isolated Saccharomonospora were present asS. Viridis , Thermoactinomyces (200 isolates) consisted of T Vulgaris, 101 isolates (50.5 %) ; T. sacchari, 85 isolates(42.5); and T. dichotomicus, 14 isolates (7 %) . Moreover, 100 sputum samples were collected from patients suffering from bronchial asthma. Only 25 samples (25 %) were positive for the presence of TA .