Isolating and identifying yeasts in women with vaginal candidiasis and studying their ability to form biofilms and haemolysin

One hundred clinical samples were collected from married women aged between 22 and 53 years during the period from October 2022 to January 2023. Several diagnostic techniques were used, such as growing samples on Sabroid Dextrose Agar medium and doing direct microscopic examinations. Together with the VITEK2 Compact diagnostic instrument, biochemical assays such as urease and the differential medium Chrom Agar were used to diagnose four different species of yeast. By microscopic inspection, the results revealed that 55% of the samples tested positive and 45% tested negative. Following sample culture, 52% of the samples tested negative and 48% of the samples tested positive. Four yeast species were detected by the urease test and the VITEK2 Compact device: C. albicans was found in 75% of isolates, followed by C. glabrata at 19%, C. parapsilosis at 4%, and C. kefyr at 2%. Additionally, the study looked into virulence factors, such as the formation of biofilms and the production of hemolysin. The findings showed that C. albicans and C. glabrata were both capable of producing biofilms and hemolysin, whereas C. parapsilosis and C. kefyr were not.