J Med Microbiol International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Mokaddas, E. M.
Right arrow Articles by Khan, Z. U.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Mokaddas, E. M.
Right arrow Articles by Khan, Z. U.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Mokaddas, E. M.
Right arrow Articles by Khan, Z. U.
J Med Microbiol 56 (2007), 255-259; DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.46817-0
© 2007 Society for General Microbiology
ISSN 1473-5644

Species distribution and antifungal susceptibility of Candida bloodstream isolates in Kuwait: a 10-year study

Eiman M. Mokaddas, Noura A. Al-Sweih and Zia U. Khan

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, PO Box 24923, Safat, Kuwait 13110

Correspondence
Zia U. Khan
Ziauddin{at}hsc.edu.kw

Received 4 July 2006
Accepted 13 October 2006

Bloodstream infections due to Candida species are important complications in severely ill hospitalized patients. This study presents data on species distribution and antifungal susceptibility profiles of Candida bloodstream isolates obtained from Kuwait during a 10-year period. All the bloodstream isolates were identified to species level by the germ tube test and carbohydrate assimilation profile using the VITEK 2 yeast identification system. Using E-test strips for amphotericin B, fluconazole, 5-flucytosine and voriconazole, MICs were determined on RPMI agar supplemented with 2 % glucose. The MIC breakpoints for resistance were based on Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute criteria or those published by reference laboratories, and were as follows: amphotericin B, >1 µg ml–1; fluconazole, >=64 µg ml–1; 5-flucytosine, >=32 µg ml–1; and voriconazole, 4 µg ml–1. In all, 607 bloodstream yeast isolates were obtained over the past 10 years in Kuwait. Candida albicans was the predominant species (39.5 %), followed by Candida parapsilosis (30.6 %), Candida tropicalis (12.4 %), Candida glabrata (5.6 %) and Candida krusei (1.6 %). All C. albicans, C. tropicalis and C. glabrata isolates were susceptible to amphotericin B. Of 186 isolates of C. parapsilosis tested, only four (2 %) exhibited an MIC for amphotericin B of >1 µg ml–1. Resistance to fluconazole was observed in nine (3.8 %) C. albicans isolates, two (5.8 %) C. glabrata isolates and four (40 %) C. krusei isolates. Resistance to 5-flucytosine was observed in two (0.8 %) C. albicans isolates, seven (9.3 %) C. tropicalis isolates, three (1.6 %) C. parapsilosis isolates and all ten (100 %) C. krusei isolates. All the isolates of C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. glabrata and C. krusei were susceptible to voriconazole, including those resistant to fluconazole. Although amphotericin B and fluconazole are widely used in clinical practice in Kuwait, resistance to these drugs remained low.

Abbreviations: CLSI, Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
INT J SYST EVOL MICROBIOL J MED MICROBIOL MICROBIOLOGY J GEN VIROL ALL SGM JOURNALS
Copyright © 2007 Society for General Microbiology.