The prevalence of yeasts as a causative agent in diabetic foot ulcer infection

Aims:The current study aims to identify the prevalence of diabetic foot yeast in diabetic foot infection and study the genetic relations among species by constructing the phylogenetic tree.Methodology and results: Swab samples were obtained from patients with diabetic foot ulcers who attended Al Fayhaa Educational Hospital and Al-Muani Educational Hospital from 12 Oct 2021 to 3 Feb 2022.Two methods, conventional and advanced, were utilized to identify the isolates.The results reveal that Candida albicans is the most prevalent species among the isolates, then C. tropicalis.75% of the isolates have been Candida species, while the rest were non-Candida.Co-infections have been observed, with C. tropicalis being the most common species to demonstrate coinfection with other species.The isolates were separated into 14 branches based on the phylogenetic analysis.The results reveal that isolates show resistance to Ketoconazole higher than Amphotericin B and Gaspofungin, which was 9.3%.In conclusion, the current study finds that C. albincans is the most prevalent causative agent for diabetic foot ulcers and the prevalence of Candida spp. is higher than non-Candida spp.Candida tropicalis is the second most prevalent species in addition to being with other species where co-infection was recorded. Conclusion, significance and impact of study:The current study suggests that C. albicans is the most prevalent causative agent among patients with diabetic foot ulcer infection.Candida spp. is a higher incidence than non-Candida yeast spp.Older diabetic patients are at risk of developing a diabetic foot ulcer infection.Gender factor influences diabetic foot ulcer infection.