Abstract

C. C. Bii1, M. C. Kangogo2, G. Revathi3 and M. W. Wanyoike2

The present study genotyped Candida albicans isolates from clinical sources in Nairobi. The isolates were from blood, sputum, swabs, urine and catheters tips isolated between 2000 - 2005. Genotypic analysis was done using primer pairs that span the site of the transposable intron in the 25S rDNA. Genotypic analysis indicated that 60% of the C. albicans were genotype A exhibiting one band size of 450 base pair. This was followed by genotype C (16%) with two bands of approximately 450 and 650 amplicon sizes. Eight percent were genotype B with one band size of 650 base pairs. Four percent of the isolates gave a faint band of approximately 550 base pairs. These isolates did not correspond with any of the earlier described genotypes; A, B, C, D and E therefore we placed it in a new genotype BC. Our local C. albicans isolates strain showed slightly different amplicon sizes as those reported previously. Genotype E which corresponds to Candida dubliniensis with amplicon size of 1080 bp was not detected and confirms no reports of C. dubliniensis in Kenya. Although 12% of the isolates were confirmed as C. albicans, no specific band was amplified and could not be genotyped. More extensive work to determine the presence of C. dubliniensis and other possible genotypes of C. albicans may be necessary.