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- Fungal infections are emerging as one of the most dreaded groups of infectious diseases with serious morbidity and mortality. Advanced therapeutics, the use of invasive devices, irrational use of broad spectrum antimicrobials and other environmental changes have resulted in an alarming increase in fungal diseases. Studies related to epidemiology, and distribution patterns across various geographical areas are distinct and different and the actual picture is still unclear. Hence, understanding the spectrum of fungal isolates recovered from clinical specimens will aid in effective management and control of these infections, ultimately improving patient outcomes and reducing the burden of fungal diseases in hospital settings. Materials and Methods- A retrospective study was conducted in the Microbiology Department of Government Medical College, Surat from January 2023 to December 2023. All the samples that were received in the microbiology laboratory for fungal culture and sensitivity testing was processed using standard microbiological guidelines for isolation of yeast and mold. Susceptibility testing of different yeast species to available antifungal agents was performed by using standard guidelines by disc diffusion method as per standard guidelines. Results – Out of a total of 2767 samples received during study period, 221 fungal isolates were grown in the laboratory after standard processing. Non-candida albicans were most predominant (48%) which constituted species like Candida tropicalis, Candida krusei, Candida parapsilosis, etc. Invasive fungal infections were caused by Non-candida albicans, especially Candida tropicalis followed by Candida krusei. Higher resistance to tested azole agents was seen among yeast isolates retrieved from Intensive care units. Conclusion -Since fungal diseases exhibit signicant geographical variations, it is critical to ascertain the local pattern of etiology and other essential parameters of a specic place or institute to aid in future management strategies.
Sarkar et al. (Sat,) studied this question.