ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF CANDIDA SPECIES WITH THEIR ANTIFUNGAL SUSCEPTIBILITY PROFILE IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Imran Ahamad and Umar Farooq*

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Yeasts are the fourth most common organism recovered from blood culture in hospital. There has been a significant increase in the number of reports of mucosal and systemic Candida infections with non-albicans Candida (NAC) species. Systemic Candida infections are the common to immunocompromised individuals, including human immuno deficiency virus (HIV) infected patients, transplant recipients, chemotherapy patients, and low-birth weight infants.6 Candida species were initially susceptible to azoles group but now some species have developed resistance to the Azoles. Aim: Isolation and identification of candida species with their antifungal susceptibility profile in a tertiary care hospital. Material & Methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Teerthanker Mahaveer Medical college & research centre Moradabad. Candida species isolated from various clinical samples were include in the study. The isolates were identified as per standard mycological protocol. The antifungal susceptibility profile of candida isolates was determined by disc diffusion method. Result: During the study period a total 1156 were processed out of which 100 isolates were taken for Candida. NAC species was predominant isolates. C.tropicalis were the major isolates from NAC species. Highest resistance was seen against fluconazole among both C.albicans and NAC. Conclusion: The present study highlights the predominance of NAC species in ICU patients similar to the trends in various study in our country. The present study highlighted the need for periodic surveillance of antifungal susceptibility pattern to preventing the emergence of drug resistance.

Keywords: Candida species, Non-albicans candida, Immunocompromise Antifungal resistance.