Candida dubliniensis: first identification in Sfax Hospital, Tunisia.
Candida dubliniensis, a newly described fungal pathogen associated mainly to immunocompromised host's infection, is phenotypically closely related to C. albicans. In this study, we report for the first time, isolation and identification, in Tunisia, of 14 isolates of C. dubliniensis from 12 human immunodeficiency virus-negative patients hospitalised in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Habib Bourguiba Sfax Hospital. Our study was firstly based on the failure to grow at 45 degrees C. This presumptive identification was completed by other tests: chlamydospore production, culture on Candiselect4 (Bio-Rad) and the commercial test Bichro-Dubli fumouze, which specifically identify C. dubliniensis. The confirmation of the discrimination between both species was performed by PCR, targeting the hyphal wall protein (HWP1) gene. The recovery of C. dublinensis by routine laboratory diagnosis is recommended for elucidating the epidemiology of this novel pathogen.
Fungal and Parasitic Molecular Biology Laboratory, School of Medicine Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia.
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M
Khlif
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Sellami
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A
Sellami
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H
Chelly
F
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Makni
M
M
Bouaziz
A
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Ayadi
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002175:Candida / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D003470:Culture Media; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D016533:Mycological Typing Techniques; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology
D003470:Culture Media; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D005656:Fungal Proteins; C118102:HWP1 protein, Candida albicans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins