Candida Lusitaniae

Introduction
Candida Lusitaniae is a type of fungus infection of the group candida. Its epidemiology is still unknown
due to its frequency of occurrence. C. Lusitaniae is generally found in animals intestine and rarely it
infects the humans. The specialty of these bacteria is that it is found in kidneys, blood streams and various
other sites and has high resistance to amphotericin B even during the therapy stage. According to the
Study made it was found that patients who are hospitalized for a long period of time and have been taking
many anti-biotics are more susceptible to this kind of infection. Colonization and breeding takes place in
the body due to the use of high number of antibiotics and thus they develop resistance. Candida
Lusitaniae is seen more often in patients who have undergone bone marrow transplantation and have
been given high dose of cytoreductive chemotherapy. These patients are often having neutropenic
problems, as neutrophil is responsible for the circulation of white blood cells which acts as the defensive
mechanism for the body gets lowered and so fails to defend the fungus infection.
Origin and Cause
Candida Lusitaniae is said to be one of the uncommon pathogen whose isolates are very resistant to
amphoteric B. No detailed literature or data is available regarding Candida Lusitaniae as very few
detailed studies have been done on them due to their frequency of occurrence. As candida infection in
blood stream is not viewed as contaminant rather it is viewed as source of blood stream infection.
It was found that there was not much difference between patients with or without suffering from Candida
Lusitaniae with respect to the antibiotic and other drugs given to the patients. The majority of the patients
who have been suffering from this fungus infection has already previously suffered from serious treatable
underlying diseases. In the study conducted by the researchers it was also found that that the Nysatain
which was used as an antibody which acted as a polyene antifungal agent increased the cross resistance of
the bacteria. The outbreak of Candida Lusitaniae depends from patient to patient and it basically
depends on the patients flora present in his body. These bacteria could also spread via coming in contact
with the surface of the skin. REA found that there are about eight different types of strains which are
having the property of being resistant.
Treatment
The most common type of method used for the treatment is by the use of antifungal agent and i.e.
echinocandins. Amphoteric B are not used much for the treatment of Candida Lusitaniae as it causes
toxicity in the blood stream. It is found that echinocandins can tolerate the bacteria in more efficient
manner. Treatment of candida should only be done by the use of antifungal agent as alone removal of
catheter will not work as a therapy for treatment of the patient from these bacteria. No sooner the
symptoms are detected than the treatment should start as it is very crucial. Echinocandins treatment
should be used in the nonneutropenic patients. Voriconazole is also one of the approved drug but there are
chances that it may go cross-resistance between Voriconazole and fluconazole. Oral dosage of fluconazole
can also be given to the patients in whom the symptoms are found to be reduced and there is very little
resistance.