Antifungal resistance of Candida albicans isolated from high vaginal swab of students attending Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Clinic, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria.

This study was carried out to determine the antifungal resistance of Candida isolated from female students attending the school Clinic. A total of 500 high vaginal swab samples were collected using swab stick. Consent forms were also administered to the female students whose samples were collected. Isolation and identification of the Candida species was carried out by microscopy, biochemical test, Germ-tube test and use of fungal identification kits. Antifungal susceptibly testing was performed by disk diffusion method using Itraconazole, Ketoconazole, Nystatin and Griseofulvin. Statistical package for social sciences was used as a tool for data analysis. Candida albicans (80.9%) and Candida glabrata (19.1%) were isolated from the samples. Antifungal resistance of the isolates were also determined, where C. albicans had 100% resistance to Griseofulvin, 80% to itraconazole and nystatin and 40% to ketoconazole. While C. glabrata had 100% resistance to Giseofulvin, nystatin and itraconazole and 40% to ketoconazole. C. albicans and C. glabrata are the common cause of vaginal candidiasis among the female students and ketoconazole, may be a better drug for the treatment of this infection