INCIDENCE, SPECIES DISTRIBUTION AND ANTIFUNGAL SENSITIVITY PATTERN OFVAGINAL YEASTS IN SRI-LANKAN WOMEN

A total of 432 high vaginal swabs from patients with vulvovaginitis we re processed for the presence of yeasts. Candida species were isolated from 40 (32.4%). In comparison, vaginal swabs from 107 normal asympto matic women yielded only eight (7.3%) isolates (P < 0.001). Candida al bicans was the commonest species isolated (76%). Other species include d C. tropicalis, C. krusei, C. kefyr, C. glabrata and C. guiliermondii . Of the C. albicans isolates, 42.8% showed in vitro resistance to mic onazole and 6.6% to econazole. Ninety-two percent of the isolates were sensitive to the polyenes (nystatin and amphotericin B) and 87% and 7 4% to clotrimazole and ketaconazole respectively.