IDENTIFYING SPECIES AND DETERMINING ANTIFUNGAL RESISTANCE OF ASPERGILLUS ISOLATED FROM HUE HOSPITAL OF MEDICINE AND PHARMACY UNIVERSITY

Objectives: Identifying the species of Aspergillus isolated from patients and enviroment at Hue Hospital of Medicine and Pharmacy University; determining the resistance rate to antifungal drugs of common pathogen strains. Materials and methods: Samples were collected and identified follow morphology features, strains of Aspergillus were stored and checked by antifungal susceptibility testing. Results:6 species of Aspergillus were isolated from patients including A. terreus (58.1%), A. flavus (16.1%), A. niger (9.7%), A. versicolor (9.7%), A. fumigatus (3.2%), A. candidatus (3.2%). 9 species of Aspergillus were isolated from hospital enviroment including A. vesicolor, A. nidulans, A. sydowii, A. circumdati groups, A. restrictus, A. oryzae, A. ochraceus, A. flocculosus, A. japonicusIn antifungal susceptibility assays, 100% strains isolated from patients were susceptible to itraconazole. The resistance rate of A. terreus, A. flavus, A. niger to amphotericin B were 94.4%, 60% and 67% respectively. Voriconazole resistance of A. terreus, A. flavus, A. niger and A. versicolor were 66.7%, 20%, 67%, and 67% respectively. The propotion of caspofungi resistance were A. terreus (11.1%), A. flavus (40%) and A. versicolor (33%). Conclusion: A. terreus was the dominant species among isolates from patients of Hue Hospital of Medicine and Pharmacy University (58.1%). The appearance of A. versicolor and A. nidulans isolates from hospital environment might impact to human health. This pilot study displayed the extreme susceptibility of Aspergillus species to itraconazole. In addition, these isolates were highly resistant to amphotericin B and voriconazole. Key words: Aspergillus spp., anti-fungal drugs resistance, antifungal susceptibility testing