ABSTRACT
Fungal colonization of human body surfaces increases due to interaction with the
environment. This study aimed to isolate, identify, and characterize fungal species
colonizing young individuals living in Ikwuano Local Government Area, Abia State, Nigeria.
20 samples were taken from the body surfaces such as the nails, armpit, toe web, hairs, and
skin from different communities in Ikwuano LGA using the swab stick soaked with distilled
water. The samples were inoculated using the spread plate method, cultured in Sabouraud
Dextrose Agar, and incubated at room temperature for 5-7 days. The organisms were
characterized and identified as Epidermophyton, Trichophyton, Aspergillus, Microsporum,
and Candida spp. Trichophyton had a percentage occurrence of (32%), while the least was
observed with Candida (13%). The total fungal count for the samples from various body
sites for males ranged from 0.27 x 105 – 0.71 x 105 cfu/ml with the highest fungal load
occurring in toe web samples (0.71×105 cfu/ml). The total fungal count for the samples from
various body sites for females ranged from 0.21x 105 – 1.01 x 105 cfu/ml with the highest
load being observed with the skin samples (1.01×105). Proper hygiene should be encouraged
to reduce the rate of fungal colonization.
KEYWORDS:Colonization, Fungi, Dermatophytes, Body surfaces, Skin
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