Eighty Candida isolates that were isolated from children of ages 0-18 years from June 2001 through March 2002 were studied. Of the 80 Candida isolates 67 (84%) were C.albicans and 13 (16%) were non-albicans Candida, [C. tropicalis(2), C. parapsilosis(2), C.krusei(1), C. kefyr(1) and other Candida spp. (7)]. C.albicans ATCC 10231 was used as the control strain. Antifungal susceptibility testing of amphotericin B, fluconazole, ketoconazole and chlotrimazole to Candida isolates was performed by the reference broth microdilution method described by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) (M27 A).

Fiftyfour percent of the Candida isolates were sensitive 23% were susceptible - dose dependent and 23% were resistant to fluconazole. MIC's of amphotericin-B were ≤1μg/ml for all the isolates except two (C.albicans, C.parapsilosis). MIC90 values of fluconazole, ketoconazole, chlotrimazole and amphotericin-B were 64μg/ml, 16μg/ml, 16μg/ml and ≤ 0.5μg/ml respectively.