Background: Candida species are known to be the most frequently encountered fungal pathogens in humans. There has been a noticeable rise in the occurrence of human infections caused by Candida over the past few decades. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify different species of Candida and determine the antifungal susceptibility patterns of Candida species isolated from clinical specimens in a tertiary hospital in Benin, Edo State, Nigeria.
Methods: A total of 104 Candida isolates were obtained from various clinical specimens using a simple random sampling technique. The isolates were cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar and were later sub-cultured on CHROMagar Candida after morphological characteristics observation and identification of Candida species were confirmed based on characteristic color production on CHROMagar. Antifungal susceptibility testing for Candida isolates was conducted following the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute M44-A recommendations for Amphotericin B, Ketoconazole, Fluconazole, and Nystatin. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 20.0.
Results: Candida albicans was the most prevalent species, accounting for 72.1% of isolates, followed by Candida krusei (17.3%), Candida tropicalis (7.7%), and Candida glabrata (2.9%). High vaginal swabs showed the highest frequency of Candida isolates (46.2%). Females exhibited a higher preponderance of candidiasis (81.3%) compared to males. With p-values of 0.007* and 0.028*, respectively, Candida albicans and Candida glabrata exhibited significant differences in susceptibility to Amphotericin B and Fluconazole antifungal drugs. The antifungal susceptibility testing indicated variations in resistance patterns among different Candida species.
Conclusion: The study revealed a predominance of Candida albicans in clinical specimens, with emerging cases of non-albicans species. Antifungal resistance to clinically available agents raised concerns, necessitating continuous surveillance and monitoring of susceptibility patterns. The results underscore the importance of developing targeted strategies to combat the challenges posed by antifungal resistance.