Evaluation of CandiSelect4, a new chromogenic medium for isolation and presumptive identification of Candida species from clinical specimens

Otomycosis in Africa: Epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment

This review sets out to highlighted knowledge gaps regarding the epidemiological, diagnostic (clinical and laboratory) and therapeutic aspects of otomycosis in Africa. A computerized literature search for otomycosis related articles were performed using MEDLINE. The search encompassed articles published in early January 1980 to May 2019 yielded 220 articles. Electronic search on PubMed was performed with the specific keywords. This review shows the higher prevalence rates of otomycosis in Africa. These prevalences varies from one country to the other and also from one population to another within the same country. The main symptoms are otalgia, otorrhea, hearing loss, aural fullness, pruritus, and tinnitus. Otomycosis is due to several predisposing factors, however, use of topical antibiotic/steroid eardrops, trauma to the external ear canal or instrumentation of the ear, being exposed to hot humid atmospheres, and close contact with water are the common risk factors. Aspergillus species are the most commonly identified organisms compared with Candida species. Worldwide, A. niger and C. albicans are the most commonly described agents of otomycosis in Africa. The Laboratory diagnosis of otomycosis is usually confirmed by mycologic tests relied on a set of evidences. Further conventional methods such as Chromagar Candida System, latex agglutination test, Biochemical tests (Api 20C AuxTM and auxanogram), phenotypical tests (Germ-tube and chlamydosporulation), and rRNA gene sequencing (PCR) are performed to improve diagnosis and the management of the disease. Adequate treatment of otomycosis includes microscopic suction clearance of fungal mass, discontinuation of topical antibiotics and treatment with antifungal eardrops for three weeks.

[Contribution of the chromogenic medium CHROMagar(®)Candida in mycological diagnosis of yeasts]

The incidence of invasive candidiasis has increased dramatically over the last decades due to a larger number of patients at risk. The diagnosis remains difficult as the clinical presentation is not specific and the biological diagnosis usually takes several days to become positive. We propose in this work through a prospective study to evaluate the contribution of a chromogenic medium CHROMagar(®) (Becton-Dickinson) in the mycological diagnosis of Candida. We selected 680 samples from patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit for epidemiological surveillance over a period of 11 weeks. We treated samples by culture on Sabouraud and on CHROMagar(®). The species identification was performed by chlamydosporulation test and carbohydrate assimilation tests. We found that the CHROMagar(®)Candida evaluated in our work was a valuable tool in the primary culture in differentiating the most frequently isolated yeast species and in better detection of mixed cultures.