Prevalence and Etiology of Otomycosis in West Libya

Fungal otitis media is a frequently case facing otolaryngologists due to its recurrence and long-Fungal otitis media is a frequent condition faced by otolaryngologists due to its recurrence and long-term treatment period. The infection starts in the outer ear canal and may reach the inner ear. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify the fungal species causing inflammation of the auditory canal, identify the main causes and contributing factors to the spread and increased incidence of ear fungal infection, and determine the relationship between otomycosis occurrence and age, gender, and diabetes. Additionally, the study aimed to compare the incidence of otomycosis among different areas. A total of 205 ear swabs were collected from patients visiting national clinics and hospitals. The samples were cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar and Czapek-Dox agar and incubated at 30°C for a week. Nine fungal species belonging to four genera were isolated: Aspergillus spp., Alternaria spp., Penicillium spp., and Candida spp. The current study showed a predominance of Aspergillus spp. isolates, with a rate of 82.67%, making it the main cause of fungal ear infection; however, Penicillium spp. was the least prevalent. Among the fungal species, A. niger was dominant, with a prevalence rate of 41.16%. The prevalence of ear infection was higher in females (62.82%) than in males (37.17%), and the infection was most common in the age group from one to twenty years (39.35%), while it was less frequent in older age groups. In coclusion, The study concluded that otomycosis is widely prevalent in western Libya, with Aspergillus niger as the predominant etiological agent.