Volume 25 , Issue 2 , December 2023 , Pages 293-303
Kale Mohammed Ali Mohammed 1 ; Taha Jalal Omar Zrary 1
1 Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Science and Health, Koya University, Koya, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is the second most common vaginal infection among
women of reproductive age. It is an opportunistic mucosal infection. Candida species
causes VVC, which affects millions of women annually. The objective of this study was
to isolate and identify the species of Candida from married women who had VVC
attending Shahid Doctor Khalid Hospital & Haji Qader Health Centre in Koya, Iraq
using traditional and molecular methods. This research was carried out, from December
2021 to May 2022; 150 vaginal swabs from married patients with symptoms of VVC
were collected. Swabs were microscopically examined, grown on Sabouraud Dextrose
Agar (SDA), and HiCrome™ Candida Differential agar and Germ Tube Test were used
to identify Candida isolates. Next, the results were validated using the molecular method
called polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify and detect the ITS region in this
study. The chitin synthase gene (CHS1) confirmed all C. albicans isolates. Out of the
150 vaginal swabs gathered, 84 (56%) cases were positive for vaginal candidiasis. Ages
26-30 were found to have the most significant proportion of positive patients, and
Women who were pregnant had a more positive culture than women who were not.
Identifying six different species of Candida was accomplished through the application of
both traditional and molecular techniques in the study; they are C. albicans (88.1%), C.
glabrata (4.8%), C. kefyr (2.4%), C. krusei (2.4%), C. parapsilosis (1.2%), and C.
tropicalis (1.2%). Finally, we concluded that VVC was shown to be prevalent in Koya
city, with the predominant species as C. albicans among all other species.