The prevalence of <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> isolated from clinical specimens in Benin City, Nigeria

Abstract

Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a yeast of industrial value, has recently been reported to cause infections. Against the background of lack of data on the presence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in clinical specimens in our environment, this study was conducted to determine its prevalence from clinical specimens and its susceptibility profile. Five hundred and nineteen (519) clinical specimens were processed to recover yeast isolates. The yeast isolates were identified and antifungal disc susceptibility profile was performed on the Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates using standard techniques. Of the total specimen processed, 223 (42.97%) yielded growth of yeast isolates. The prevalence of yeast isolates differs significantly (P < 0.0001) in relation to clinical specimens with catheter tips habouring the highest (80.00%). The prevalence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was 58.83% and it differs significantly (P = 0.0313) among the various clinical specimens. With Catheter tips specimens and aspirates yielded the highest growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiea (10% each). Age and genders did not significantly affect the prevalence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (P > 0.05). In-patients, have a significantly 3 – 31-fold increase risk of habouring Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates (OR = 9.808 95% C.I = 3.118, 30.819; (P < 0.0001) than the out- patients studied. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates were all sensitive to amphotericin B and nystatin. An overall prevalence of 5.83% of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was observed in this study. In-patients are 9.8 times more likely to habour Saccharomyces cerevisiae than out-patients. Routine surveillance for Saccharomyces isolates in clinical specimens is advocated.