Isolation, identification, and antifungal resistance of candida spp. In cats from Kota Bharu, Kelantan

The vast majority of fungal infections that occur worldwide are caused by yeast. The virulence of yeast isolates can vary widely depending on the species. Many yeast isolates are harmless commensals or endosymbionts of their hosts, including humans. This research aimed to determine the antifungal resistance pattern of the Candida species isolated from cats in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, using systematic mycology and molecular identification techniques. Additionally, the study intends to identify the dominant Candida species isolated from cats in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Swab samples were taken from the rectal area, the ear, the mouth, and the nasal of 60 cats in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, some of which exhibited abnormalities related to clinical signs of fungal infections and others that did not. Isolation and molecular identification were performed to determine which yeast isolates belonged to which species of Candida. As for the result, out of 60 ear swab samples, 60 rectal swab samples, 60 oral swab samples, and 60 nasal swab samples, 9 (15%) ear swab samples, 34 (56.7%) rectal swab samples, 21 (35%) oral swab samples and 21 (35%) nasal swab samples fungal isolates were identified as yeast species by isolation and microscopic examination. In the meantime, all of the results from the molecular detection were negative for Candida auris and the Candida auris resistant gene.
Keywords: Candida species, Candida auris, fungal infection, yeast