Prevalence and Antifungal Susceptibility Profile of Cryptococcus neoformance among Pregnant Women in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Background: The prevalence and antifungal susceptibility profile of Cryptococccus neoformans was investigated among pregnant women hospitalized in a tertiary Hospital in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital. Methods: A total of (50) pregnant women were enrolled in the study and a subsequent 50 urine samples were cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA). Culture plates which showed significant growth were further processed for the identification of Cryptococcus using standard microbiology procedures. Antifungal agents with known potency were used to determine susceptibility profile of the isolates according to Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results: The prevalence of isolation was 12% and the drug of choice was found to be amphotericin B (83% susceptibility). Isolates were resistant to nystatin (%) followed by voriconazole (%). The prevalence of C. neoformance among pregnant women in relation to age and trimester revealed that the observed changes are likely to have occurred by chance at α = 0.0.5 (N=6). Conclusion: Effective screening of pregnant women for neglected invasive fungal diseases should be considered an additional step in ensuring safe maternal and child health care.