TO STUDY PHENOTYPIC IDENTIFICATION OF CANDIDA ISOLATES AMONG CLINICAL SAMPLES AT TERTIARY LEVEL HOSPITAL, WESTERN RAJASTHAN

Background: Candida species are important opportunistic fungal pathogens responsible for a wide spectrum of infections ranging from superficial mucosal disease to invasive candidiasis. Accurate and timely species identification is essential because different Candida species exhibit varying antifungal susceptibility patterns.The increasing occurrence of non-albicans Candida species has further emphasized the need for reliable identification methods. Objectives: To study the phenotypic identification of Candida isolates using Sabouraud Dextrose Agar ( SDA ), Candichrome agar, and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), and to evaluate their demographic and sample-wise distribution among clinical specimens.