The Prevalence of Fungal Keratits in Selected Health Institutions Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Date
2015-09
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Mycotic keratitis is an important cause of corneal blindness all over the world.
Geographical location and climate are known to influence the profile of fungal diseases. While
there are several reports on mycotic keratitis from developing and developed countries, the
prevalence of mycotic keratitis and its etiologic agents in Ethiopia few is available.
Objective: To demine the prevalence mycotic keratitis and spectrum of fungi implicated in causes
mycotic keratits
Material and methods: Corneal scraping was obtained under aseptic conditions with a sterile 21
gauge needle, following the instillation of a local anesthetic by an ophthalmologist. Corneal
scraping was inoculated directly onto Sabouraud Dextrose Agar in C-shaped streaks and incubated
at 25oC aerobically for four weeks. Cultures of mycelia fungi were identified by examining
macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of their colony. Yeasts were identified by
employing conventional biochemical and assimilation test procedures and using chromagar
Candida culture medium (Becton Dickinson) as per the instruction of the manufacture.
Result:
Out of 153 cases of microbial keratitis investigated, fungi were recovered from 69
patients giving fungal keratins prevalence of 45.1%. Of these 29 (42%) were female and 40 (58%)
were male patients.
68% and 17 % of fungi were isolated from rural and urban patients
respectively. Fungal recovery rate was the highest (47%) in age groups of 25-44. Similarly the
recovery rate of fungi was higher in farmers in which out of 33 farmers, fungi were isolated in 30
patients. Trauma was the leading predisposing factor. A total 77 fungal isolates belonging to 12
genera were recovered in this study. Of the total isolates mycelia fungi were the most common
isolates accounting 64 (83.1%) of the total isolates. Fusarium and Aspergillus species were the
two predominate mycelia fungi accounting 21(27.3%) and 19(24.8 %) of the total isolates
respectively, with together comprising 52.1% of the total isolates. Cladosporium spp and
Scedosporium sp accounted 6(6.5%) and 5(5.2%) respectively. Yeast isolates accounted only
15.6% of the total fungal isolates.
Conclusion A high prevalence of mycotic keratitis, highlight the need for nationwide study on the
mycotic keratitis and precise identification of the causative fungus and institution of appropriate
treatment strategy
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Keywords
Health Institutions