Novel Candida sequence types and antifungal profiles in a Northern Brazil Hematology Center

Author(s): Cristina Motta Ferreira, Guilherme Motta Antunes Ferreira, Larissa Alves Gomes, Adryele Ramos Pazini, Victor Costa de Souza, Joseir Saturnino Cristino, George Allan Villarouco da Silva, Andrea Monteiro Tarragô, Franceline Oliveira Calheiros, Felipe Gomes Naveca, William Antunes Ferreira

Introduction: Invasive fungal infections, particularly candidiasis, remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with hematologic malignancies, complicated by emerging antifungal resistance.

Methods: Here we characterized Candida species isolated from hematologic patients at a tertiary referral center in Northern Brazil using antifungal susceptibility testing and multilocus sequence typing.

Results: We identified C. albicans, C. krusei, and C. tropicalis isolates, including fluconazole and amphotericin B resistant C. krusei strains. Molecular analysis revealed three novel C. albicans sequence types and a new C. krusei sequence type, phylogenetically linked to global circulating clones. These findings indicate local revolution and potential clonal dissemination within the hospital environment.

Conclusion: Our study underscores the importance of ongoing molecular surveillance and antifungal susceptibility monitoring to inform infection control and optimize treatment strategies in immunocompromised hematologic patients. This is the first report of novel Candida sequence types in a hematologic reference center in the Amazon region.