Subtyping and antifungal susceptibilities of Candida spp. in the intensive care unit of a Greek general hospital

This study identified the Candida spp., susceptibility to antifungal agents and the prevailing Candida albicans subtypes responsible for infections or colonization of 42 patients in the ICU over a 6-month period. Most isolates were C. albicans (66.1%) and Candida tropicalis (28.3%) all of which were susceptible in vitro to antifungal agents. Subtypes of the C. albicans isolates were identified by pulsed field gel electrophoresis Sfi I chromosomal digests. Two major C. albicans subtypes were identified, whereas subtype heterogeneity was found among strains of Candida glabrata and C. tropicalis. Sfi I PFGE restriction patterns were able to discriminate between sub-populations of C. albicans isolates, clustering them into distinct, epidemiologically congruous groups.