Mycologic and bacteriologic investigations of clinical sputum specimens in Lagos, Nigeria

Of 1,358 sputum specimens collected from in- and out-patients of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, and examined between September 1985 and June 1987, 585 (43.0%) were positive with one or more bacterial and/or fungal species. A total of 19 genera comprising of about 25 species of bacteria and fungi were isolated. Bacteria formed 363 (26.7%) of the 1,358 specimens while fungi isolated were 222 (16.3%). The bacteria were Mycobacterium species 357 (26.3%) consisting of M. tuberculosis 341 (25.1%), atypical mycobacteria 13 (1.0%) and M. Bovis three (0.2%); while Nocardia asteroides accounted for six (0.4%). Amongst the various fungi isolated Candida species, 116 (8.5%) and Aspergillus species 47 (3.5%) were very prevalent. It is noteworthy that 28.5% of the clinical specimens had single aetiologic agents while 14.6% were polymicrobial.