title: Candida and other yeasts of clinical importance in Aseer region, southern Saudi Arabia. Presentation of isolates from the routine laboratory setting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To isolate, identify, and determine the prevalence of Candida and other yeasts of clinical importance in Aseer region, Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross-sectional study involving retrospective analysis of 6100 samples submitted to the Microbiology Laboratory, Aseer Central Hospital, Abha, Saudi Arabia between 2011 and 2012, and prospective isolation and identification of 84 isolates recovered from various clinical specimens presented to the Microbiology Laboratory between 2012 and 2013 using the classic morphological schemes and the Vitek 2 automated system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of the retrospective analysis (2011-2012) indicated that of the 6100 various clinical specimens submitted to the routine microbiology analysis, 143 (2.35%) revealed the presence of Candida spp. The distribution of the 143 Candida spp according to specimens was as follows: urine 72%, sputum 10.5%, endotracheal tube 7%, blood 4.2%, catheter tip 2.1%, throat swab 2.1%, eye swab 0.7%, wound exudates 0.7%, and cerebrospinal fluid 0.7%. The results of the prospective study (2012-2013), which involved the identification of yeast recovered from 84 specimens indicated that Candida albicans 28.6% was the predominant species, followed by Candida parapsilosis 21.4%, Candida tropicalis 14.3%, and Candida lusitaniae 9.5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Along with the commonly encountered Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, and Candida lusitaniae were detected with significant rates. Many other Candida species and some other pathogenic yeasts have been detected for the first time in the region. Urinary tract samples were the main source of Candida species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, PO Box 641, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail. mehamid2@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mohamed E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hamid
authors.forename: Mohammed M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Assiry
authors.forename: Martin R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: Waleed O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Haimour
authors.forename: Ihab M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Abdelrahim
authors.forename: Fatin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Al-Abed
authors.forename: Abdalla N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Fadul
authors.forename: Ahmed M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Al-Hakami
mesh_terms: D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D041022:Candida tropicalis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D058387:Candidemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015821:Eye Infections, Fungal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D009181:Mycoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology