title: Species distribution and antifungal susceptibility profile of Candida spp. bloodstream isolates from Latin American hospitals.
abstract: From March 1999 to March 2000, we conducted a prospective multicenter study of candidemia involving five tertiary care hospitals from four countries in Latin America. Yeast isolates were identified by classical methods and the antifungal susceptibility profile was determined according to the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards microbroth assay method. During a 12 month-period we were able to collect a total of 103 bloodstream isolates of Candida spp. C. albicans was the most frequently isolated species accounting for 42% of all isolates. Non-albicans Candida species strains accounted for 58% of all episodes of candidemia and were mostly represented by C. tropicalis (24.2%) and C. parapsilosis (21.3%). It is noteworthy that we were able to identify two cases of C. lusitaniae from different institutions. In our casuistic, non-albicans Candida species isolates related to candidemic episodes were susceptible to fluconazole. Continuously surveillance programs are needed in order to identify possible changes in the species distribution and antifungal susceptibility patterns of yeasts that may occurs after increasing the use of azoles in Latin American hospitals.
authors.affiliation: Hospital São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Patrício
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Godoy
authors.forename: Iris Nora
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Tiraboschi
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Severo
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bustamante
authors.forename: Belinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Calvo
authors.forename: Leila Paula de
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Daniel Archimedes
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: da Matta
authors.forename: Arnaldo Lopes
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Colombo
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002175:Candida / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America / Q000453:epidemiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents