Isolation of Candida albicans and their sensitivity to antifungal agents.

During 1978 and 1979 outbreaks of candidiasis were encountered in about 500,000 broiler chickens on 30 farms, 30,000 guinea fowl on 4 farms, 500 geese on 1 farm, and 10 penguins in a zoo. This represents the first report of avian candidiasis in Taiwan. Diagnoses were based on typical gross and microscopic pathology consistent isolation of Candida albicans from crop and esophageal lesions, virulence of isolates in rabbits, identification of the isolates as C. albicans serotype A by chlamydospore and germ tube formation, fermentation tests, and agglutination by specific antisera, and the lack of any sign of fowl pox or trichomoniasis. The upsurge of candidiasis is attributed to the modernization stressors which interact deleteriously with opportunistic pathogens. In vitro sensitivity testing recorded the following order of effectiveness against 20 isolates: nystatin greater than gentian violet greater than copper sulfate = propionic acid = p-hydroxy benzoic acid greater than calcium propionate = propylene glycol.