RAPID IDENTIFICATION OF CANDIDA-ALBICANS - EVALUATION OF RAPIDEC-ALBICANS - STUDY OF 444 STRAINS

Rapid identification of Candida albicans is of great importance as it is the most frequently isolated yeast pathogen. Rapidec albicans, a new 2-h micromethod, performs two fluorescent enzymatic activities: hexosaminidase and proline arylamidase. A total of 444 yeast strains (334 from type culture collections and 110 from recent clinical isolates) were tested. The sensitivity was 98,5% and the specificity 95,8%. When only considering the clinicals strains, 47/47 Candida albicans were identified by Rapidec albicans (sensitivity 100%) but only 43/47 by the germ tube test (sensitivity 91,5%). The specificities of the two tests were respectively 98,2 % and 100%. This new system is therefore very efficient for the routine diagnosis of Candida albicans in the clinical field. It is easier and quicker than the germ tube test.