Antifungal susceptibility of clinical Candida parapsilosis isolates in Kuwait

This study presents data on antifungal susceptibility of 114 Candida parapsilosis isolates recovered from clinical specimens in Kuwait. Candida parapsilosis isolates originating from blood (n = 66) and other clinical specimens (n = 48) were tested by Etest against amphotericin B (AP), caspofungin (CS), 5-flucytosine (FC), fluconazole (FL) and voriconazole (VO). The plates were incubated at 35 degrees C and readings for minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were recorded after 24 and 48 h of incubation. The MIC ranges and MIC(90) read after 48 h were as follows: 0.064-1 and 0.5 microg ml(-1) for AP; 0.125-4 and 1.5 microg ml(-1) for CS; 0.047 to >256 and 1 microg ml(-1) for FL; 0.023 to >32 and 0.125 microg ml(-1) for FC and <0.002-1 and 0.047 microg ml(-1) for VO respectively. According to Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute criteria, all the isolates were susceptible to VO, and resistance against FC and FL was <2%. Eight (7%) isolates exhibited reduced susceptibility (MIC >1 microg ml(-1)) to CS including six isolates with MIC of >or=2 microg ml(-1) at 48 h reading. The antifungal resistance among bloodstream isolates of C. parapsilosis against AP, FL, FC and VO in Kuwait is rare. This is the first report on CS susceptibility of C. parapsilosis isolates from Arabian Gulf region.