Antifungal Susceptibility of Pathogenic Moulds isolated from patients at Tertiary Hospital in South western Uganda

Abstract Fungal infections are common in tropical regions causing diverse human infections. Their isolation and sensitivity testing plays a major key role in the clinical management. Samples from eye clinic, skin scrapings and nail clippings were obtained and stained with potassium hydroxide, observed at 40x objective lens for hyphae identification. They were inoculated onto potato dextrose agar slant and incubated for 14 days for mould isolation. Lactophenol cotton blue stain was used for macroscopic identification of Moulds. 3 antifungal powder agents were dissolved in RPMI-1640 solution for the MIC of the isolated Moulds. Of 40 Moulds isolated 30(75%) were skin scrapings, 5(12.5%) were corneal scrapings and 5(12.5) were nail scrapings. Of these isolates; 10 Aspergillus niger, 6 Penicillium, 5 Trichophyton mentagrophytes, 4 Curvularia, 5 Rhizopus, 4 Fusarium, 1 Bipolaris and fusarium, 1 Lasidiopolidia, 1 Collectrium, 2 Aspergillus fumigatus, 1 Aspergillus flavus. For MIC, Itraconazole had 39 sensitive and 1 resistant, Fluconazole had 35 sensitive and 5 resistant while Amphotericin B had 32 sensitive and 8 resistant isolates. Amphotericin B increased resistance is attributed to readily available polyene creams in the drug shops across Uganda.