Isolation and Identification of Various Candida Species from Clinical Samples at a Tertiary Care Hospital of Southern Rajasthan

Introduction: Candida species are yeast-like fungi that normally inhabit humans as harmless commensals but can become opportunistic pathogens when host resistance is compromised. Among the Candida species, Candida albicans is typically regarded as the main pathogen. Over the past few decades, there has been a noticeable rise in the prevalence of non-albicans species. Species-level identification of Candida spp. is of clinical significance due to the variability in virulence and antifungal resistance among them. Objective: The objective of this research is to isolate and identify the species of Candida from diverse clinical samples within a tertiary care hospital, to ascertain the range of Candida infections present in clinical specimens, and to characterize the Candida species that have been isolated. Methods: Candida isolates from various clinical samples like urine, sputum, tracheal swab, vaginal swab, and endotracheal secretions were included in this study. After initial identification of Candida species by conventional methods, Candida spp. were inoculated onto CHROM agar and incubated at 37C for 48 to 72 hours, with species identification based on the type and colour of colonies on the CHROM agar medium. Results: In this present study, a total of 45 Candida species were isolated from various clinical specimens, 20 from urine, 12 from sputum, 6 from tracheal swab, 6 from vaginal swab and 1 from endotracheal secretions as shown in Table 2. Among 45 Candida isolates, 25 (55.56) were of Candida albicans, 13 (28.89) of Candida tropicalis, 6 (13.33) of Candida galbrata and 1(2.22) of Candida krusei. Conclusion: In addition to Candida albicans, non-albicans Candida species such as C. tropicalis, C. krusei, C. glabrata, and C. dubliniensis are being more frequently obtained from clinical specimens. Accurate species identification of Candida is crucial for effective treatment, as not all species respond uniformly to therapy, and there is a growing concern over antifungal resistance.