Epidemiology of Candida Species Colonizing Mucosae of HIV-Infected Patients in Two Healthcare Centers of Cameroon During 2018-2020

Aims: This study aimed to investigate Candida species colonizing HIV-infected patients in Bafoussam and Yaounde in Cameroon. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Yaoundé Central Hospital (YCH) and Bafoussam Regional Hospital (BRH) between October 2018 and December 2020. Methodology: We included 804 HIV-infected (681 women; 123 men; age range 21-81 years). Vaginal discharge, oral swab, stools, and urine were collected, and mycological diagnosis including direct macroscopic and microscopic analyses, culture on Sabouraud chloramphenicol medium, culture on chromogenic medium, germ tube test, evidence of chlamydospores production, biochemical analysis was performed. Yeast isolates were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Results: Eight hundred and four patients were recruited, and 2754 samples were collected. The colonization frequency was 17.35%, and 513 yeasts were isolated. Overall, Candida albicans 251 (48.92%) was the most frequently isolated. Non-albicans Candida (NAC) isolates have been classified into 16 species, including Candida krusei (14.23%), Candida glabrata (9.94%), Candida parapsilosis (8.18%), and Candida tropicalis (7.99%) as the major ones. There was a relationship (P-value= 0.00) between antiretroviral therapy and Candida species colonization. Conclusion: The results provide information on the epidemiology of Candida species in HIV-infected patients in Cameroon.