title: Spectrum of Opportunistic Fungal Infections in HIV/AIDS Patients in Tertiary Care Hospital in India.
abstract: HIV related opportunistic fungal infections (OFIs) continue to cause morbidity and mortality in HIV infected patients. The objective for this prospective study is to elucidate the prevalence and spectrum of common OFIs in HIV/AIDS patients in north India. Relevant clinical samples were collected from symptomatic HIV positive patients (n = 280) of all age groups and both sexes and subjected to direct microscopy and fungal culture. Identification as well as speciation of the fungal isolates was done as per the standard recommended methods. CD4+T cell counts were determined by flow cytometry using Fluorescent Activated Cell Sorter Count system. 215 fungal isolates were isolated with the isolation rate of 41.1%. Candida species (86.5%) were the commonest followed by Aspergillus (6.5%), Cryptococcus (3.3%), Penicillium (1.9%), and Alternaria and Rhodotorula spp. (0.9% each). Among Candida species, Candida albicans (75.8%) was the most prevalent species followed by C. tropicalis (9.7%), C. krusei (6.4%), C. glabrata (4.3%), C. parapsilosis (2.7%), and C. kefyr (1.1%). Study demonstrates that the oropharyngeal candidiasis is the commonest among different OFIs and would help to increase the awareness of clinicians in diagnosis and early treatment of these infections helping in the proper management of the patients especially in resource limited countries like ours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Associated Hospitals, New Delhi 110001, India.
authors.forename: Ravinder
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9230-4188
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Maulana Azad Medical College and Associated Lok Nayak Hospitals, New Delhi 110002, India.
authors.forename: Megh S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Dhakad
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Maulana Azad Medical College and Associated Lok Nayak Hospitals, New Delhi 110002, India.
authors.forename: Ritu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goyal
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Maulana Azad Medical College and Associated Lok Nayak Hospitals, New Delhi 110002, India.
authors.forename: Preena
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8319-5090
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bhalla
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College and Associated Lok Nayak Hospitals, New Delhi 110002, India.
authors.forename: Richa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dewan