Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of unusual vaginal isolates of Candida albicans from Africa.

As expected by its global prevalence, the most frequently isolated species 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 isolates from Angola, as well as two isolates obtained from one German patient, were not able to utilize the amino sugars glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine as the sole carbon source. These isolates were able to form germ tubes but did not form chlamydospores. The correct identification as C. albicans was made possible only by using a PCR-based method of DNA fingerprinting. Only minor phenotypic and genotypic variation was observed among these strains. Whether they represent a distinct clone that is found mainly in Africa is not clear. The relevance of the amino sugar catabolic pathway in C. albicans is discussed in view of these results.