New Medium for Identifying Candida Species

Studies have shown that if an antifungal agent is not included in the initial therapy, a mortality rate of around 60% can result. Azoles are currently the most widely used of all antifungal agents. C albicans, which is sensitive to azoles, is the most commonly encountered of the Candida species in clinical practice, but other species are becoming increasingly prevalent. These are problematic because of the emergence of strains that are resistant to amphotericin B and newer azoles.

The new Oxoid Chromogenic Candida Agar (OCCA) is a selective differential medium that utilizes two chromogens to differentiate C albicans colonies (green) from colonies of C tropicalis (dark blue), C krusei (pink brown), and other important Candida species (beige, yellow, and brown) in a single incubation. By providing a valid and rapid differentiation of C albicans from other species, OCCA helps to improve the initial choice of therapy, which can have an important effect on morbidity and mortality rates and on hospitalization.

In a comparative evaluation, OCCA was shown to promote good growth of Candida species and allowed detection of more C albicans strains in 24 hours than an alternative chromogenic medium. OCCA also provided superior detection rates of mixed yeast cultures over traditional media, allowing both major and minor populations to be identified. The new medium is the product of Oxoid (Basingstoke, UK).




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