title: In vitroAntifungal Susceptibility Patterns ofCandida Albicansfrom HIV and AIDS Patients Attending the Nylon Health District Hospital in Douala, Cameroon.
abstract: HIV and AIDS are major public health problems in Cameroon where the HIV prevalence is 5.5%. Candidiasis is the leading opportunistic mycosis in HIV and AIDS patients. The objective of this study was to determine thein vitroantifungal susceptibility pattern ofCandida albicansin HIV and AIDS patients to eight antifungal agents in the Nylon Health District of Douala in Cameroon. Three hundred and four HIV and AIDS patients were recruited between March and August 2007 to participate in a cross-sectional study. All subjects who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were enrolled. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects before samples were collected. Three samples comprising oral swabs, vagina/urethra swabs and a mid-stream urine were collected from each subject. Specimens were cultured on sabouraud dextrose agar andC. albicansisolates were identified using the germ tube technique. The disk diffusion method was used for antifungal susceptibility testing using eight antifungal agents. The prevalence of candidiasis in the study population was 67.8% (95% CI: 62.5-73.1%) and that ofC. albicanswas 42.8% (95% CI: 37.2-48.4%). Oral swabs had the highest prevalence ofC. albicansfollowed by vaginal/urethral samples (52.6% vs. 29.7% respectively). Forty (30.8%) subjects hadC. albicansinfection at more than one collection site. There was a statistically significant difference in the infectivity ofC. albicanswith age, sex and site of infection (P<0.05).C. albicansisolates were most sensitive to ketoconazole (80%) followed by econazole (64.6%) while fluconazole and 5-flurocytosin recorded the poorest sensitivities (22.9%vs24.6%, respectively). There was a statistically significant difference in the sensitivity pattern of antifungal agents with respect to the site of isolation of the organism (P<0.05). Ketoconazole is the drug of choice for the treatment ofC. albicansinfection in HIV and AIDS patients in the Nylon Health District of Douala, Cameroon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea.
authors.forename: Anna L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Njunda
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Hygiene, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea.
authors.forename: Dickson S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Nsagha
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea.
authors.forename: Jules C N
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Assob
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea.
authors.forename: Henri L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Kamga
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea.
authors.forename: Pride
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Teyim
keywords: AIDS; Cameroon; Candida albicans; HIV; antifungal drugs; in vitro susceptibility