Identification and Susceptibility Profile of Vaginal Candida Species to Antifungal Agents among Pregnant Women Attending the Antenatal Clinic of Thika District Hospital, Kenya
Loading...
Date
2013
Authors
Menza, Nelson
Wanyoike, Wanjiru
Muturi, Margaret
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Scientific Research Publishing
Abstract
Fungal infections have emerged as a world-wide health care problem in recent years, owing to the extensive use of
broad-spectrum antibiotics. We screened 104 pregnant women with symptoms of vaginal candidiasis in the antenatal
clinic of Thika District Hospital, Kenya in order to identify vaginal Candida species and determine their susceptibility
profile to commonly used antifungal drugs for treatment of the infection. The drugs tested were fluconazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole, clotrimazole and topical nystatin. Vaginal swabs were collected and subjected to mycological and
biochemical tests for Candida species identification. Susceptibility profile of the identified vaginal Candida species to
the antifungal drugs was carried out using broth micro-dilution minimum inhibiting concentration method based on the
approved National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS, 2002) guidelines. Candida albicans was
susceptible to most of the azoles drugs while the other species had varying responses. Candida krusei and Candida
glabrata species isolated were resistant to fluconazole and ketoconazole. Candida albicans isolates had a high susceptibility to itraconazole (88.33%). Five percent (5%) of the isolates were susceptible in dose dependent (S-DD) with
Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) of 0.25 - 0.5 µg/ml while 11.67% of C. albicans isolates were resistant
(MICs ≥ 1 µg/ml). Itraconazole resistance was highest among C. glabrata isolates (50%) while 32.14% were S-DD
(MICs 0.25 - 0.5 µg/ml). Only 17.85% of the C. glabrata isolates were susceptible (MICs of ≤ 0.125 µg/ml). All isolates of Candida isolates were susceptible to itraconazole and clotrimazole except C. krusei which was 100% resistant
to clotrimazole. All Candida species isolates had low susceptibility to topical nystatin except Candida parapsilosis that
was 100% susceptible. Data also showed an emerging resistance of Candida krusei to most of the drugs used except
itraconazole. The results of this study support the continued use of these antifungal drugs for the treatment of vaginal
candidiasis in the pregnant women except topical nystatin.
Description
A research article published in Open Journal of Medical Microbiology
Keywords
Citation
Nelson, M., Wanjiru, W., & Margaret, M. (2013). Identification and susceptibility profile of vaginal Candida species to antifungal agents among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic of Thika District Hospital, Kenya. Open Journal of Medical Microbiology, 2013.