Epidemiology and antifungal susceptibility testing of non-albicansCandida species colonizing mucosae of HIV-infected patients in Yaoundé (Cameroon).

Non-albicans Candida (NAC) species have emerged as potent pathogenic yeasts among HIV-infected patients. Authors evaluated the epidemiology and antifungal susceptibility testing of non-albicansCandida species colonizing Yaoundé (capital of the Republic of Cameroon, Central Africa) HIV-infected patients. The mucosal specimens were collected and submitted to the mycological diagnosis. Yeast isolates were identified by the Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation - Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The antifungal susceptibility testing was achieved by the CLSI-M27 protocols, and the interpretation of clinical break points (CBPs) and epidemiological cutoff values were in accordance with the CLSI-M60 and M59 recommendations. Four hundred and two patients were recruited and 1218 samples collected. The colonisation frequency was 24.1% and 304 yeasts isolated. Yeast isolates were 113 (37.2%) C. albicans, 2 (0.7%) C. africana and 172 (56.6%) NAC isolates. The NAC isolates were grouped into 13 species including C. krusei (18.1%), C. glabrata (10.9%), C. tropicalis (8.5%) and C. parapsilosis (5.9%) as the major ones. All the isolates appeared to be wild-type for amphotericin B and itraconazole. One (1/33) isolate of C. glabrata was resistant to fluconazole. C. arapsilosis isolates appeared all susceptible to fluconazole. C. tropicalis isolates presented 50% (13/26) resistance to fluconazole. The achieved results bring out new insights about epidemiology of NAC species in Cameroon. The results also highlight the resistance of NAC species to current antifungal drugs.