PROFILING AND SPECIATION OF CANDIDA SPECIES BY USING HICHROME AGAR FROM VARIOUS CLINICAL AND POSTMORTEM SAMPLES IN LIVESTOCK AND POULTRYG. KALAISELVI, G. BALAKRISHNAN, RAMAN3, R.RAMYA, R. SAAHITYA AND C. SOUNDARARAJANAbstract Animal Candidiasis is associated with oral and upper respiratory disease, pyothorax, ocular lesions, intestinal disease and urocystitis in dog and cats and causes arthritis in horses and mastitis and abortion in cattle. The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of Candida species among various clinical and post mortem samples of livestock and poultry. All samples were collected using aseptic precautions. After receiving in the Central University laboratory, the samples were inoculated onto both Blood agar and MacConkey agar, XLD agar and SDA agar and plates were incubated at 37 oC for 24 hours aerobically. The colonies appeared as smooth, pasty, opaque, white or beige were suspected as Candida colonies and Gram stain was done for confirmation. The speciation of the Candida isolates was performed by inoculating it on Hicrome Candida differential agar. The Hicrome agar was prepared as per the manufacturerâs instructions and incubated at 37 oC for 24 hours aerobically. The antibiotic sensitivity test was performed with Highrome agar plate. The pure culture of Candida albicans were streaked in hichrome agar plate and antibiotic disc were placed in appropriate distance and incubated at 37 oC for 24 hours aerobically. Biofilm study of yeast was performed with Sterile 96-well polystyrene plates which were inoculated with 200 μl bacterial suspension (105 CFU/ml) in BHI medium and incubated at 37 oC for 24 hrs without shaking. Species identification of Candida was done by the morphology and color of the colonies. The Candida albicans produce light green colonies, C. tropicalis metallic blue colonies, C.krusei produces purple fuzzy colonies, and C. glabrata white to cream-colored colonies. Out of 298 Candida isolates, C. albicans was the most common species in 210 (70.46%) strains. The remaining 88 (29.5%) strains showed Non-albicans Candida. Out of 88 Non-albicans Candida isolates, Candida isolates, 20 were C. tropicalis (23%), 28 were C. glabrata (32%), 18 were Candida parapsilosis (20%) and 22 were C. krusei (25%) respectively (Table 1). Out of 298 isolates from oronasal swab (HVS), the most common species was C. Albicans followed by C. tropicalis, C. glabrata, Candida parapsilosis and C. krusei. Among the 16 urine samples, the most common species was C. Albicans followed by C. tropicalis, C. glabrata, and C. krusei were isolated. |