E-test Determination of Antifungal Susceptibility of Species Isolated from Turkeys.

INTRODUCTION

Candida species are a natural component of the intestinal tract microflora, but in favourable conditions they can cause superficial, mucosal, or even systemic candidiasis. Poultry production might be a source of human drug-resistant yeast infections, including spp. The limited data concerning the antifungal susceptibility of poultry isolates prompted us to carry out research to determine the susceptibility of isolates from turkey intestinal tracts.

METHOD AND MATERIALS

The beak cavity, crop and cloaca were swabbed of 580 turkeys from 58 flocks in western Poland. The susceptibility tests were conducted using the E-test method with amphotericin B, fluconazole, itraconazole, and voriconazole on 52 isolates of , , , , , and .

RESULTS

All isolates were susceptible to voriconazole. According to the MIC values obtained for amphotericin B and fluconazole, all spp. isolates were classified as susceptible according to the described breakpoints except for . , which was the only isolate that was amphotericin B-, fluconazole- and itraconazole-resistant. The susceptibility to itraconazole varied: 11 of the isolates were susceptible (21.1%), 29 were dose-dependently susceptible (55.8%), and 12 isolates were resistant (23.1%).

CONCLUSION

There are few resistant strains of in turkeys, and the drug resistance varies. When passes from turkeys to humans, there is a wide range of antifungal treatment options.