Rhinitis, ocular, throat and dermal symptoms, headache and tiredness among students in schools from Johor Bahru, Malaysia: associations with fungal DNA and mycotoxins in the classroom
There are few studies on rhinitis and sick building syndrome (SBS) among students in tropical countries. We studied associations between levels of five fungal DNA sequences, two mycotoxins (sterigmatocystin and verrucarol) and cat allergen (Fel d 1) levels in schools and rhinitis and other weekly SB...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science
2016
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/52897/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/52897/1/Rhinitis%2C%20ocular%2C%20throat%20and%20dermal%20symptoms%2C%20headache%20and%20tiredness%20among%20students%20in%20schools%20from%20Johor%20Bahru%2C%20Malaysia%20associations%20with%20fungal%20DNA%20and%20mycotoxins%20in%20the%20classroom.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848852172167446528 |
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| author | Norback, Dan Hashim, Jamal Hisham Cai, Gui-Hong Hashim, Zailina Ali, Faridah Bloom, Erica Larsson, Lennart |
| author_facet | Norback, Dan Hashim, Jamal Hisham Cai, Gui-Hong Hashim, Zailina Ali, Faridah Bloom, Erica Larsson, Lennart |
| author_sort | Norback, Dan |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | There are few studies on rhinitis and sick building syndrome (SBS) among students in tropical countries. We studied associations between levels of five fungal DNA sequences, two mycotoxins (sterigmatocystin and verrucarol) and cat allergen (Fel d 1) levels in schools and rhinitis and other weekly SBS symptoms in the students. Fungal DNA was measured by quantitative PCR and cat allergen by ELISA. Pupils (N = 462) from eight randomly selected schools in Johor Bahru, Malaysia participated (96%). Dust samples were collected by cotton swabs and Petri dishes exposed for one week. None of the schools had a mechanical ventilation system, but all classrooms had openable windows that were kept open during lectures and indoor CO2 levels were low (mean 492 ppm; range 380–690 ppm). Weekly nasal symptoms (rhinitis) (18.8%), ocular (11.6%), throat (11.1%), dermal symptoms, headache (20.6%) and tiredness (22.1%) were common. Total fungal DNA in swab samples was associated with rhinitis (p = 0.02), ocular symptoms (p = 0.009) and tiredness (p = 0.001). There were positive associations between Aspergillus versicolor DNA in Petri dish samples, ocular symptoms (p = 0.02) and tiredness (p = 0.001). The level of the mycotoxin verrucarol (produced by Stachybotrys chartarum) in swab samples was positively associated with tiredness (p = 0.04). Streptomyces DNA in swab samples (p = 0.03) and Petri dish samples (p = 0.03) were negatively associated with tiredness. In conclusion, total fungal contamination, measured as total fungal DNA) in the classrooms, Aspergillus versicolor and verrucarol can be risk factors for rhinitis and SBS symptoms among students in the tropical country Malaysia. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T10:33:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-52897 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T10:33:51Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-528972022-03-15T07:49:24Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/52897/ Rhinitis, ocular, throat and dermal symptoms, headache and tiredness among students in schools from Johor Bahru, Malaysia: associations with fungal DNA and mycotoxins in the classroom Norback, Dan Hashim, Jamal Hisham Cai, Gui-Hong Hashim, Zailina Ali, Faridah Bloom, Erica Larsson, Lennart There are few studies on rhinitis and sick building syndrome (SBS) among students in tropical countries. We studied associations between levels of five fungal DNA sequences, two mycotoxins (sterigmatocystin and verrucarol) and cat allergen (Fel d 1) levels in schools and rhinitis and other weekly SBS symptoms in the students. Fungal DNA was measured by quantitative PCR and cat allergen by ELISA. Pupils (N = 462) from eight randomly selected schools in Johor Bahru, Malaysia participated (96%). Dust samples were collected by cotton swabs and Petri dishes exposed for one week. None of the schools had a mechanical ventilation system, but all classrooms had openable windows that were kept open during lectures and indoor CO2 levels were low (mean 492 ppm; range 380–690 ppm). Weekly nasal symptoms (rhinitis) (18.8%), ocular (11.6%), throat (11.1%), dermal symptoms, headache (20.6%) and tiredness (22.1%) were common. Total fungal DNA in swab samples was associated with rhinitis (p = 0.02), ocular symptoms (p = 0.009) and tiredness (p = 0.001). There were positive associations between Aspergillus versicolor DNA in Petri dish samples, ocular symptoms (p = 0.02) and tiredness (p = 0.001). The level of the mycotoxin verrucarol (produced by Stachybotrys chartarum) in swab samples was positively associated with tiredness (p = 0.04). Streptomyces DNA in swab samples (p = 0.03) and Petri dish samples (p = 0.03) were negatively associated with tiredness. In conclusion, total fungal contamination, measured as total fungal DNA) in the classrooms, Aspergillus versicolor and verrucarol can be risk factors for rhinitis and SBS symptoms among students in the tropical country Malaysia. Public Library of Science 2016-02 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/52897/1/Rhinitis%2C%20ocular%2C%20throat%20and%20dermal%20symptoms%2C%20headache%20and%20tiredness%20among%20students%20in%20schools%20from%20Johor%20Bahru%2C%20Malaysia%20associations%20with%20fungal%20DNA%20and%20mycotoxins%20in%20the%20classroom.pdf Norback, Dan and Hashim, Jamal Hisham and Cai, Gui-Hong and Hashim, Zailina and Ali, Faridah and Bloom, Erica and Larsson, Lennart (2016) Rhinitis, ocular, throat and dermal symptoms, headache and tiredness among students in schools from Johor Bahru, Malaysia: associations with fungal DNA and mycotoxins in the classroom. PLOS One, 11 (2). pp. 1-15. ISSN 1932-6203 https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0147996 10.1371/journal.pone.0147996 |
| spellingShingle | Norback, Dan Hashim, Jamal Hisham Cai, Gui-Hong Hashim, Zailina Ali, Faridah Bloom, Erica Larsson, Lennart Rhinitis, ocular, throat and dermal symptoms, headache and tiredness among students in schools from Johor Bahru, Malaysia: associations with fungal DNA and mycotoxins in the classroom |
| title | Rhinitis, ocular, throat and dermal symptoms, headache and tiredness among students in schools from Johor Bahru, Malaysia: associations with fungal DNA and mycotoxins in the classroom |
| title_full | Rhinitis, ocular, throat and dermal symptoms, headache and tiredness among students in schools from Johor Bahru, Malaysia: associations with fungal DNA and mycotoxins in the classroom |
| title_fullStr | Rhinitis, ocular, throat and dermal symptoms, headache and tiredness among students in schools from Johor Bahru, Malaysia: associations with fungal DNA and mycotoxins in the classroom |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rhinitis, ocular, throat and dermal symptoms, headache and tiredness among students in schools from Johor Bahru, Malaysia: associations with fungal DNA and mycotoxins in the classroom |
| title_short | Rhinitis, ocular, throat and dermal symptoms, headache and tiredness among students in schools from Johor Bahru, Malaysia: associations with fungal DNA and mycotoxins in the classroom |
| title_sort | rhinitis, ocular, throat and dermal symptoms, headache and tiredness among students in schools from johor bahru, malaysia: associations with fungal dna and mycotoxins in the classroom |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/52897/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/52897/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/52897/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/52897/1/Rhinitis%2C%20ocular%2C%20throat%20and%20dermal%20symptoms%2C%20headache%20and%20tiredness%20among%20students%20in%20schools%20from%20Johor%20Bahru%2C%20Malaysia%20associations%20with%20fungal%20DNA%20and%20mycotoxins%20in%20the%20classroom.pdf |