Citation: Olusegun Richard Adeoyo & Oluwawemimo Grace Omolola (2022). Evaluation of Indoor and Outdoor Fungal Flora of Two Poultry Farms in Akungba-Akoko and Ayegunle-Akoko. Saudi J Biomed Res, 7(3): 114-118. 114 Saudi Journal of Biomedical Research Abbreviated Key Title: Saudi J Biomed Res ISSN 2518-3214 (Print) |ISSN 2518-3222 (Online) Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Journal homepage: https://saudijournals.com Original Research Article Evaluation of Indoor and Outdoor Fungal Flora of Two Poultry Farms in Akungba-Akoko and Ayegunle-Akoko Olusegun Richard Adeoyo 1* , Oluwawemimo Grace Omolola 1 1 Department of Microbiology, Adekunle Ajasin University, P.M.B. 001, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria DOI: 10.36348/sjbr.2022.v07i03.001 | Received: 24.01.2022 | Accepted: 02.03.2022 | Published: 23.03.2022 *Corresponding author: Olusegun Richard Adeoyo Department of Microbiology, Adekunle Ajasin University, P.M.B. 001, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria Abstract Good quality of air in poultry farms is a prerequisite for healthy animals and farm workers. Air acts as a good dispersal medium for microbes and its quality is a reflection of the environment. The focus of this study was to evaluate indoor and outdoor fungal flora of two poultry farms (Akungba-Akoko and Ayegunle-Akoko) and to determine effect of some antifungal agents on all isolates. Identity of each fungus was determined by comparing the morphology and microscopic characteristics of each fungus with those in compendium of soil fungi. Air flora sampling was performed both inside and outside premises of farms, and an open-air method was used. Antifungal activity was performed using two antifungal drugs (ketoconazole and nystatin). A total of twenty-three (23) fungal species were obtained belonging to fourteen (14) genera; Aspergillus, Penicillium, Eurotium, Monascus, Alternaria, Cryptococcus, Curvularia, Chrysonilia, Microsporum, Cunninghamella, Bipolaris, Acremonium, Fusarium and Trichoderma. Genera such as Curvularia, Chrysonilia, Cunninghamella and Cryptococcus were not inhibited by antifungal drugs used across all concentrations, while nystatin inhibited 74% of these fungi using concentration of 5 mg/ml with 25 mm being highest zone of inhibition. Ketoconazole’ s highest zones of inhibition were found with Alternaria tenuissima (26 mm), Trichoderma harzianum (25 mm) and Aspergillus acidus (25 mm). The study revealed presence of some toxicogenic fungi in poultry environments. Therefore, this study recommends preventive measures like provision of adequate ventilation system, regular cleaning of poultry farms, use of clean equipment, and use of antifungal drugs such as ketoconazole and nystatin (to be used at low concentration) to inhibit and control infections in poultry farms. Keywords: Indoor and outdoor poultry environments; animal and human health; fungal flora; antifungal activity. Copyright © 2022 The Author(s): This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial use provided the original author and source are credited. INTRODUCTION Pollution is one of the problems facing community health today. It affects the health of both animals and humans. Pollution interferes with human health, quality of life, natural functioning of ecosystem and their physical environment (Fabian et al., 2005). Pollution is caused by a wide range of biotic and abiotic entities that include chemical or particulate droplets to biological contamination of the air by airborne microorganisms (bio-aerosols). Air can be polluted by the addition of harmful substances to the atmosphere resulting in damage to the environment, human and animal health and quality of life (Hart et al., 2008). Poultry production is based on chickens is farmed in large numbers because more than seventy billion chickens are killed for consumption annually (Sanders, 2018). Poultry farms are among the polluted areas with large quantities of different microbial components (bio-aerosols) such as bacterial and fungal cells, their spores and fragments of mycelium as well as their toxins (Karwowska, 2005). Their concentrations change in atmosphere based on environmental conditions (Kasprzyk, 2008). Examples of bio-aerosols are Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus fumigatus, Cladosporium spp, and different species of the following genera; Fusarium, Mucor, Penicillium, Rhizopus and Trichoderma that can be derived from soil, dust, feed and bedding and birds themselves. Microbial contaminants in poultry farms are assisted by contaminated feed, litter, inadequate ventilation, poultry droppings, and improper personal hygiene of workers. Most microorganisms are saprophyte, but some airborne microorganisms may be