Frequency of candida infection among intensive care unit patients and their susceptibility profile

Background: Candida species are responsible for causing many health care associated and central line associated infections. They are responsible for causing opportunistic infection in human beings. Genus of Candida is composed of a heterogeneous group of organsims.Invasive infections of Candida mainly caused by Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis & Candida tropicalis. Aim and objective: The main objective of this study was to isolates candida albicans and Non- albicans candida and their antifungal susceptibility testing. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out in the Department of Microbiology, in Tmu Hospital Moradabad. Total numbers of 806 clinical samples were processed in which 206 isolates were taken for candida. Isolation and antifungal susceptibility testing done by Vitek-2 system. Result: Out of 206 samples 77(37%) were C.albicans and 129(63%) were Non-albicans candida (NAC). Maximum isolated species were C.albicans 77(37%), followed by C.tropicalis 70(34%), C. parapsilosis 24(12%), C. glabrata 19(9%), C. dubliniensis 12(6%), C. krusei 3(1%), C.african 1(1%).  Conclusion: Infection caused by NAC species have increased. C.tropicalis was the most common isolated species. Candida albicans, C.glabrata and C.krusei were shown high susceptibility to fluconazole and voriconazole. Amphotericin B, Caspofungin, Micafungin and Flucytosine shows high susceptibility towards other candida species. Keywords: Candida species, Non-albicans candida, Antifungal Susceptibility Testing