Isolation and identification of candida species from various clinical samples in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Candida spp is a member of the normal flora of the skin, mucous membrane and gastrointestinal tract. They are endogenous opportunists which cause secondary infection in individuals with underlying immunocompromised conditions. Candidiasis is a common fungal disease in humans. An increase in the prevalence of non-albicans species has been noted during the last decades because of increasing use of azoles. This study aims to Spectate Candida using chromogenic medium.Methods: A total of 50 Candida isolates from various clinical samples were included in the study. These isolates were subjected to gram's stain, germ tube test and inoculation on commercially available CHROM agar (HiMedia India).Results: In current study majority of isolates were from high vaginal swab (34%) followed by sputum (28%), urine (18%), pus from surgical sites and others constituted to 20%. Candida albicans (51%) was the most common candida species, followed by C. tropicalis (25%), C. krusei (16%), C. glabrata (6%) and C. dubliniensis (1%).Conclusions: Along with Candida albicans, non-albicans candida spp like C. tropicalis, C. krusei, C. glabrata, and C. dubliniensis are increasingly being isolated from clinical samples. CHROM agar is a simple, rapid and inexpensive method for identification of such species. Characterization to species level helps to identify species which might be intrinsically resistant to commonly used antifungal agents