The epidemiology of Candida species in the Middle East and North Africa

Publication date: Available online 26 July 2019Source: Journal de Mycologie MédicaleAuthor(s): Sara Ghazi, Rayane Rafei, Marwan Osman, Dima El Safadi, Hassan Mallat, Nicolas Papon, Fouad Dabboussi, Jean-Philippe Bouchara, Monzer HamzeAbstractIn recent decades, the epidemiology of invasive candidiasis (IC) has progressively changed worldwide. This notably includes emergence of several Candida species. Although some surveillance programs provided global trends in IC epidemiology, data from countries from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) remain scarce. In this manuscript, we reviewed the existing available data on the epidemiology of Candida species associated with IC, particularly candidemia, in MENA region regarding species distribution. As witnessed worldwide, an evident shift of Candida albicans towards non-albicans Candida (NAC) has been observed in the MENA region. The worrying emergence of multi-drug resistant Candida species in MENA calls for a better understanding of their epidemiology. This represents an essential prerequisite for the implementation of effective infection control strategies and surveillance systems to prevent IC among high-risk patients.
Source: Journal of Medical Mycology - Category: Biology Source Type: research