What does this research mean for the field?

Commercial poultry facilities serve as reservoirs for airborne, azole-resistant and multidrug-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus, with fungal loads and resistance peaking during the mid-to-late stages of the production cycle. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.CONFIRMATORY. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.SUPPORTS_CONSENSUS.

March 31, 2026Open Access

Temporal dynamics of airborne fungal succession and detection of azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus in a poultry farm over a nine-week production cycle

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Abstract

This longitudinal study assessed airborne fungal ecology and azole resistance in A. fumigatus sensu lato within a commercial poultry facility in Taif, Saudi Arabia, across a complete nine-week broiler grow-out cycle. Weekly aeromycological sampling (189 SDA plates) identified 29 fungal species (11 genera) from 450 isolates, dominated by A. flavus sensu lato (246.44 CFU/m³), A. niger sensu lato (229.44 CFU/m³), and Alternaria alternata (183.33 CFU/m³). Total fungal concentrations peaked at 336.67 CFU/m³ in Week 7. Among 35 A. fumigatus sensu lato isolates (TUAf102-TUAf136), disk diffusion testing revealed voriconazole (17.1%; 6/35), itraconazole (20%; 7/35), posaconazole (25.7%; 9/35), and fluconazole (22.9%; 8/35) resistance, plus multidrug resistance (8.6%; 3/35) from Week 1 onset. Mid-cycle resistance peaks (Weeks 5-8) coincided with maximum fungal loads, though sampling variability limits definitive trends. These findings confirm poultry housing as reservoirs of antifungal-resistant aspergilli, warranting cyp51A genotyping, azole residue monitoring, and One Health surveillance to protect occupational health and antimicrobial efficacy in intensive production systems.

Temporal dynamics of airborne fungal succession and detection of azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus in a poultry farm over a nine-week production cycle

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Abstract

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