Vaginal Candidiasis Caused by Candida Non Albicans: Epidemiological and Mycological Aspects at the University Hospital Center of Brazzaville

Abstract

Introduction: Vaginal candidiasis is a mycosis caused by a yeast of the genus Candida. Candida albicans was for a long time the first etiology of these mycoses. However, in recent years, an increasing involvement of non-albicans Candida species has been observed.

Objective: To describe the epidemiological and mycological aspects of vaginal candidiasis due to Candida non albicans in women who have performed an analysis of the vaginal sample in the Parasitology Mycology laboratory of the University Hospital Center of Brazzaville.

Patients, Materials And Method: This was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study from July to October 2019 (i.e. 3 months). It concerned all the patients received at the Parasitology-mycology and parasitic immunology laboratory of the CHUB for an analysis of the vaginal sample. The diagnosis was made after direct examination and culture of samples on Sabouraud Chloramphenicol medium with and without Actidione*. The filamentation test on calf serum and the study of the biochemical characteristics of the yeast colonies using the API candida strips from Biomérieux were carried out for each positive culture. Statistical analysis was performed using Epi-info 7.2.2.6 softwares.

Results: The frequency of Candida non albicans yeast infection was 64.7%. The median age of patients with Candida non albicans vaginal candidiasis was 35.5 years (25.0 years - 47.0 years) with extremes of 18 and 59 years old. The age group between 18 and 40 was the most represented (68.2%). These were women with secondary education (n=12 ; 54.5%), with a notion of a single sexual partner (n=17 ; 77.3%), pregnant (n=6 ; 27, 3%). In 22.7% there was poor faecal hygiene. The main reasons for taking the samples were… and the non-albicans Candida species were represented by Candida glabrata (36.4%), Candida tropicalis (18.2%), Candida krusei (13.6%), Candida famata (13.6%), Candida parapsilosis (9.1%) and Candida spp (4.6%).

Analytical Study

Conclusion: Candida non albicansremains the common fungus in our context with a predominance of Candida glabrata. Age, poor faecal hygiene could have a link with the occurrence of these fungal infections, hence the importance of good awareness and systematic research in young women.