ISSN: 2689-7822
Authors:
Background: Intestinal candidiasis is a common opportunistic condition in people living with HIV (PLHIV). Limited data are available in Africa on prevalence, species diversity, and antifungal susceptibility of intestinal Candida, particularly in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients. This study assessed prevalence, species distribution, and resistance patterns of Candida sp isolated from stools of HIV-infected individuals in Libreville, Gabon. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from October to November 2021 at the University Hospital of Libreville and the Department of Parasitology, Mycology and Tropical Medicine. Adult PLHIV (≥18 years), without recent antifungal therapy or other predisposing chronic diseases, were enrolled. Stool samples were cultured on chromogenic medium; species were identified by colony colour. Antifungal susceptibility (fluconazole, ketoconazole, clotrimazole, nystatin, miconazole, amphotericin B) was assessed by disc diffusion. Results: Of 107 participants (median age 42 [35–49] years, sex ratio 2.3), median CD4 count was 185 [100–348] cells/mm³. Candida sp was isolated in 68.2% of samples. C. albicans (32.7%) and C. glabrata (31.8%) predominated; C. krusei accounted for 7.5%, while C. tropicalis was absent. Among 61 tested isolates, 19.7% were susceptible to all agents, 24.6% resistant to all, and 50.8% showed multidrug resistance. Resistance was highest to miconazole (75.4%) and fluconazole (70.5%). Conclusion: Intestinal Candida colonisation is frequent in PLHIV in Libreville, with high prevalence of non-albicans species and substantial azole resistance, underscoring the need for enhanced antifungal resistance monitoring and adapted treatment strategies.
Keywords: Vulvovaginal Candidiasis; Suburbs; Senegal
Chat with us on WhatsApp