Epidemiology and antifungal susceptibilities of rare yeast infections in a tertiary care center.

BACKGROUND

With advancements in healthcare services, there has been an increase in the population of immunosuppressed patients and the frequency of opportunistic pathogens including rare yeasts (RY). We aimed to provide data on the distribution of RY causing invasive infections and their antifungal susceptibility profiles. In this retrospective study, the distribution of RYs obtained between January 2015 and January 2023 examined. Antifungal susceptibility analyses of the isolates conducted using the broth microdilution method following European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) recommendations. The patients' demographics, predisposing factors and outcomes were investigated.

RESULTS

A total of 15 species were identified from 56 clinical samples, including Clavispora lusitaniae, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Magnusiomyces capitatus, Wickerhamomyces anomalus, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Magnusiomyces clavatus, Candida dubliniensis, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Cyberlindnera jadinii, Pichia inconspicua, Candida auris, Yarrowia lipolytica, Trichosporon asahii, Wickerhamiella pararugosa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Observed highly heterogenous antifungal susceptibility results depending on the species. Admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), being 65 years or older, and neutropenia increased mortality. Fourteen-day and 30-day mortality rates were 27.8% and 35.2%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The variability of RY encountered in various centers and differences in antifungal susceptibility profiles warrant further research on this topic, both regionally and globally.