Oral candidiasis (Thrush)‎ in debilitated children in North Iraq

Abstract EN

Background : The aim of the study was to declare the presence of oral candidiasis in debilitating children with oral lesions and the association between this Candida infection and the existence of certain risk factors was studied.

Moreover, species identification of the yeasts isolated was carried on by utilizing the new enzymatic culture technique (Chrom agar).

Patients and Methods : Seven hundred and ninety one child who were admitted to the Pediatric Hospitals in Mosul (North Iraq) for different diseases were screened clinically for the presence of suspected lesion of oral thrush.

Out of them, 101 child showed oral lesions from which swabs were taken and send to the Department of Microbiology, Mosul Medical College, for direct and cultural examination.

Cultural identification was performed by the conventional and chrom agar methods.

Results : Out of 101 cases that showed the presence of oral lesions,93 of them revealed the presence of yeasts by both direct and cultural examination.

The higher incidence (55 %) was in children less than 6 months of age.

Gastroenteritis was the main associated risk factor in the studied cases (51 %).

The infection among bottle-feeding infants was higher (53 %) than breast-feeding infants (15 %).

The main isolated species was Candida albicans (59 %), identified by chrom agar culture method.

Conclusion : Oral thrush can occur in significant rate among debilitating children, especially those with gastroenteritis and bottle feeding manner.

The main isolated species by the chrom agar was Candida albicans.