PHENOTYPIC AND GENOTYPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF UNUSUAL VAGINAL ISOLATESOF CANDIDA-ALBICANS FROM AFRICA

As expected by its global prevalence, the most frequently isolated spe cies of yeast from vaginal swabs obtained from patients in Africa was Candida albicans, which accounted for 53 of 85 (62.4%) of the isolates from women in Madagascar and 35 of 54 (64.8%) of the culture-positive women in Angola, However, 40% of the Madagascan and 23% of the isolat es from Angola, as well as two isolates obtained from one German patie nt, were not able to utilize the amino sugars glucosamine and N-acetyl glucosamine as the sole carbon source, These isolates were able to for m germ tubes but did not form chlamydospores, The correct identificati on as C. albicans was made possible only by using a PCR-based method o f DNA fingerprinting, Only minor phenotypic and genotypic variation wa s observed among these strains, Whether they represent a distinct clon e that is found mainly in Africa is not clear. The relevance of the am ino sugar catabolic pathway in C. albicans is discussed in view of the se results.