Evaluation of chromogenic agar, [corrected] VITEK2 YST and VITEK® MS for identification of Candida strains isolated from blood cultures.

The aim of this study is to compare conventional methods, chromogenic agar, [corrected] VITEK2 YST card and VITEK®MS system for the identification of Candida strains isolated from blood cultures. Fifty-four strains were identified according to conventional methods, chromogenic agar, [corrected] VITEK2 YST card and VITEK®MS. Sequencing was used as the reference method. The 54 strains included 32 Candida parapsilosis, 19 Candida albicans, 1 Candida glabrata and 2 Candida tropicalis according to the reference method. One C. albicans and one C. glabrata isolate were misidentified as C. parapsilosis by chromogenic agar. [corrected]. Two C. parapsilosis and three C. albicans isolates were misidentified by VITEK2 YST card. Chromogenic agar, [corrected] VITEK2 YST card and VITEK®MS identified correctly 96.2%, 90.7% and 100% of all strains, respectively. We found that the chromogenic agar, [corrected] VITEK2 YST card and VITEK®MS system are easy, rapid and accurate alternative methods for the identification of yeast species in the clinical microbiology laboratory.