Environmental and occupational respiratory diseases – 1033. Rust fungi of plants and high IgE levels in asymptomatic workers of a stored food grains godown: a possible relationship

Methods Air samples were collected during loading/unloading of stored food grains in a godown with the help of Rotorod sampler, UK on petroleum jelly coated tape at 2900 rpm for 30 minutes, the tapes were then directly inoculated on Sabouraud’s dextrose media for isolation of fungi by imprint smear. Most of the collected samples yield Aspergillus sp., Rhizopus sp., Penicillium sp., Mucor sp. and along with them one variety of Rust fungi of plants was also repeatedly isolated. Formaldehyde based fungal suspensions were prepared from all the cultured fungi, workers’ blood samples were collected and serums were separated. Then serum samples were teated with the formalin suspensions of the isolated fungi in the form of slide agglutination tests. Serum total IgE levels of all collected blood samples were also measured by ELISA test method.