Antifungal susceptibility of non-albicans Candida spp. isolated from raw milk and human blood in Alborz and Tehran provinces

Background and Objectives: Recent reports indicate high prevalence of fungal infections due to non-albicans Candida spp. which are present in various environments such as raw milk. The quality of milk for fungal normal flora was investigated in this study. Materials and Methods: A total of 262 milk samples were collected directly from milk collection tanks indesignated dairy farms and cultured in SDA media. By further analysis of grown yeasts, 69 non-albicans Candida strains were identified. Antifungal susceptibility of the isolated species, were evaluated against amphotericin B, itraconazole, fluconazole and flucytosine. Fifty two non-albicans clinical samples isolated from human blood have been evaluated along. Results: Antifungal susceptibility evaluation in non-albicans strains isolated from milk revealed Candida glabrata and Candida tropicalis to be 100% sensitive to flucytosine and fluconazole. Candida krusei showed 94% and 80% sensitivity to flucytosine and fluconazole respectively. Candida parapsilosis indicated 72.72% sensitivity to fluconazole. Conclusion: Evaluation of non-albicans Candida species in raw milk and antifungal susceptibility patterns of these isolatescompare with non-albicansisolates from human blood, may help physicians to choose an appropriate medication for diseases needing long-term treatment, especially for diseases caused by local strains.