Correlation between microdilution, Etest, and disk diffusion methods for antifungal susceptibility testing of fluconazole against Candida sp. blood isolates

INTRODUCTION: Antifungal susceptibility testing assists in finding the appropriate treatment for fungal infections, which are increasingly common. However, such testing is not very widespread. There are several existing methods, and the correlation between such methods was evaluated in this study. METHODS: The susceptibility to fluconazole of 35 strains of Candida sp. isolated from blood cultures was evaluated by the following methods: microdilution, Etest, and disk diffusion. RESULTS: The correlation between the methods was around 90%. CONCLUSIONS: The disk diffusion test exhibited a good correlation and can be used in laboratory routines to detect strains of Candida sp. that are resistant to fluconazole.

Burkholderia pseudomallei: a case report of a human infection in Ceará, Brazil

O isolamento de Burkholderia pseudomallei, de meio ambiente e de espécimes clínicos, foi raramente registrado na América do Sul, particularmente no Brasil. Este relato descreve o caso de melioidose em um paciente de 10 anos de idade, de área rural do estado do Ceará (Tejuçuoca). As hemoculturas foram positivas e as análises dos testes bioquímicos e de susceptibilidade aos antimicrobianos do isolado foram indicativos para a identificação de B. pseudomallei. A fonte de contaminação foi obscura, uma vez que as análises microbiológicas de solo e água no tanque foram negativas.