由于可能存在空气传播途径的感染传播方式，特别是在高危病房，对医院空气进行微生物监测是预防和控制的必要措施。本研究旨在监测伊朗东南部克尔曼市最大的大学教育医院-阿夫扎利普尔医院在COVID-19疫情第二波期间选定的病房内的空气真菌。该研究在2021年5月至8月期间，选择了阿夫扎利普尔医院的11个不同病区的患者房间及护士站进行。通过常规和测序方法对真菌分离物进行物种级别的鉴定。在获得的93个真菌菌落中，有70个（75.3%）为丝状菌，23个（24.7%）为酵母菌。丝状菌菌落中，曲霉属是优势真菌分离物（n=19; 27.1%），而Naganishia albida（以前的Cryptococcus albidus）被鉴定为最常见的酵母菌分离物（n=13/23; 56.8%）。感染病房是污染最严重的单位（n=19/93），而新生儿重症监护病房（n=3/93）和肿瘤科（n=3/93）是最清洁的单位。统计结果显示，患者房间中真菌分离物的数量显著高于护士站（p值=0.013）。我们的研究表明，在医院的所有病区中存在多样的真菌物种。考虑到医院中存在的空气传播真菌及相关公共卫生问题，是卫生系统管理的关键问题之一。在这方面，对空气传播真菌的高效监测可能对医院感染控制和监测，特别是在危重病房中的高危住院患者中起到有影响力的作用。© 2023. 作者授予Springer Nature Switzerland AG独家许可。

Microbiological monitoring of the air hospital is essential for prevention and control, due to the possible airborne route of infection transmission, especially in high-risk wards. This study aimed to monitor the airborne fungi during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in selected wards of the biggest university educational hospital in Kerman, southeastern Iran. This study was conducted in 11 different wards, separated into the patient room and nursing station, of the Afzalipour hospital from May to August 2021. Fungal isolates were characterized to the species level by conventional and sequencing methods. Out of 93 obtained fungal colonies, 70 (75.3%) isolates were filamentous and 23 (24.7%) isolates were yeast. Aspergillus species were the predominant fungal isolates among the filamentous colonies (n=19; 27.1%), and Naganishia albida (formerly Cryptococcus albidus) was identified as the most common yeast isolate (n=13/23; 56.8%). The infectious ward was the most contaminated unit (n=19/93), while the least contaminated units were the neonatal intensive care unit (n=3/93), and oncology (n=3/93). The statistical findings displayed that the number of fungal isolates in patients' rooms is significantly higher than in nurses' stations (p-value=0.013). Our study demonstrated the presence of diverse fungal species in all wards of the hospital. Considering the presence of airborne fungi in hospitals and related public health problems is one of the critical issues for health systems management. In this regard, efficient monitoring of airborne fungi might play an influential role in hospital infection control and surveillance, particularly in high-risk hospitalization patients in critical wards.© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.