Screening of C. auris among Candida isolates from various tertiary care institutions in Lahore by VITEK 2 and real time PCR based molecular technique

PLoS One. 2023 Oct 24;18(10):e0293390. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293390. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Candida auris is a multidrug-resistant pathogen, that is a well-known cause of nosocomial infections. This pathogen is being identified using advanced diagnostic approaches and epidemiological typing procedures. In underdeveloped nations, several researchers developed and validated a low-cost approach for reliably identifying Candida auris. The goal of this study was to assess the burden of Candida auris in different teaching hospitals of Lahore and to limit its spread to minimize hospital-related illnesses. Candida isolates were obtained from various tertiary care institutions in Lahore in the form of culture on various culture plates. Sabouraud agar culture plates were used to culture the Candida spp. Fluconazole-resistant Candida species were chosen for further identification using VITEK 2 Compact ID and molecular identification using species-specific PCR assay. The current study obtained 636 Candida samples from several tertiary care institutions in Lahore. Fluconazole resistance was found in 248 (38.9%) of 636 Candida samples. No isolate was identified as Candida auris by VITEK 2 Compact ID and real-time PCR-based molecular identification. Thus with limited resources, these two methods may serve as useful screens for Candida auris. However, it should be screened all over the country to limit its spread to break the chain of nosocomial infections.

MeSH terms

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Candida
  • Candidiasis* / diagnosis
  • Candidiasis* / epidemiology
  • Cross Infection* / diagnosis
  • Cross Infection* / epidemiology
  • Fluconazole / pharmacology
  • Hospitals, Teaching
  • Humans
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Tertiary Healthcare

Substances

  • Fluconazole
  • Antifungal Agents

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work.