Background: Candida is the leading cause of vaginitis, and 75% of women have at least one episode of infection in their lives, with pregnancy being a predisposing factor. If left untreated, vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) can lead to chorioamnionitis with subsequent abortion, prematurity and congenital infection of the neonate. We aimed to determine the prevalence of VVC, identify the recent and most frequently occurring species of Candida in pregnant women, and determine the most effective antifungal drug of choice for treatment. Method: A prospective cross-sectional study in which 176 high vaginal swab samples of consented pregnant women visiting the antenatal clinic from February 2018 to April 2018 were subjected to direct gram smear and culture for Candida isolation. Candida isolates were identified using a germ tube test and HiCrome Candida differential agar. Candida isolates were then subjected to a disk diffusion method using fluconazole (25 μg), nystatin (100 units), and voriconazole (1 μg) on Mueller-Hinton agar supplemented with 2% (w/v) glucose and 0.5 μg/ml methylene blue dye to determine the susceptibility pattern as per the guidelines of the Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI). Chi-square analysis was used to ascertain the significant association of participants' sociodemographics and clinical presentations to VVC. A univariate logistic regression model was used to identify potential risk factors of VVC.
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