Ann Microbiol Immunol | Volume 1, Issue 1 | Review Article | Open Access

Identification of Candida Species: Conventional Methods in the Era of Molecular Diagnosis

Sachin Chandrakant Deorukhkar* and Shahriar Roushani

Department of Microbiology, Rural Medical College, Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences (DU), India

*Correspondance to: Sachin Chandrakant Deorukhkar 

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Abstract

Candida is unique among mycotic pathogens as it causes a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from mere mucocutaneous overgrowth to life threatening systemic infections. Candida albicans is generally considered as most pathogenic member of the genus and most common cause of different types of candidiasis. However, many recent studies from various parts of world have documented a shift from ‘pervasive’ C. albicans to ‘cryptic’ Non Albicans Candida (NAC) species. NAC spp. are closely related to C. albicans and cause similar clinical manifestations but differ with respect to epidemiology, virulence factors and most importantly the pattern of susceptibility to antifungal drugs. Although commercial systems and molecular diagnostic methods are rapid and reliable, high cost limits their use. Conventional techniques remain the mainstay of species identification of Candida isolates in most clinical microbiology laboratories.

Keywords:

Candida albicans; Conventional techniques; Corn meal agar; Germ tube technique; Chromogenic media

Citation:

Deorukhkar SC, Roushani S. Identification of Candida Species: Conventional Methods in the Era of Molecular Diagnosis. Ann Microbiol Immunol. 2018; 1(1): 1002.

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