Co-Occurrence of Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus in the Nostrils Of Apparently Healthy University Students: A Case Study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Candida and Staphylococcus spp. in the nasal cavity of apparently healthy university students. Eighty-six (86) nasal samples from apparently healthy undergraduate students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma were screened with Mannitol agar and Sabrourand’s dextrose agar for S. aureus and Candida albicans respectively. After the incubation period, the microorganisms were isolated and identified through biochemical tests. The data obtained were statistically analysed using SPSS (version 17). Results showed that 74.42% of the apparently healthy students were positive for nostril microbiota. Specifically, 46.51% and 9.30% were positive for S. aureus and C. albicans respectively. Worrisome is the co-occurrence of S. aureus and C. albicans in 18.61% of the sampled apparently healthy students. The result of this study highlights the fact that S. aureus and C. albicans are usually part of the normal flora and may pose no threat in healthy persons. However, co-occurrence of these organisms may otherwise compromise the immune function of individuals.

Keywords: Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Students