Identification and Antifungal Susceptibility of Candida Species in Canine Oral Flora

In this study, the presence of Candida species was investigated in 60 oral swab samples collected from dogs. The samples were cultured on Candida chromogenic agar and incubated at 30°C for 48 hours. Following the incubation period, growth was observed on 30 (50%) of the plates, resulting in the isolation of 57 Candida colonies. These colonies exhibited growth either as single or multiple agents on the chromogenic agar. Species identification was performed based on the color patterns displayed on the chromogenic agar, leading to the detection of six distinct Candida species. Among the isolates, 16 (28.1%) were identified as Candida krusei, 10 (17.5%) as Candida glabrata, 10 (17.5%) as Candida parapsilosis, 9 (15.8%) as Candida utilis, 7 (12.3%) as Candida tropicalis, and 5 (8.8%) as Candida albicans. To confirm their identification at the molecular level, all isolates were verified as belonging to the Candida genus using PCR with ITS3-ITS4 primers. The antifungal susceptibility of the isolates (n=57) was assessed using the disk diffusion method. The results revealed that the isolates exhibited resistance to miconazole (43.8%), ketoconazole (26.3%), flucytosine (100%), and fluconazole (93.1%), while showing high sensitivity to nystatin (93.1%). This study highlights the presence of pathogenic Candida species in the oral flora of dogs and underscores the emergence of antifungal resistance among these isolates. The findings suggest that the presence of Candida species in the oral microbiota of dogs could pose a potential health risk to both animals and humans, particularly in immunocompromised individuals.