Antimicrobial susceptibility and biofilm production among Staphylococcus and Candida species

Abstract

Background: Biofilms are surface-attached groups of microbial cells that are embedded in an extracellular matrix. One of the main features of biofilms is their resistance to antimicrobial drugs; therefore, the biofilm-based infections are extremely difficult to treat. This study aimed to investigate the biofilmforming capacity of Staphylococcus spp. and Candida spp. strains isolated from collected clinical samples, as well as to assess their antibiotic susceptibility. Material and methods: The study was conducted on 134 strains of Staphylococcus spp. and 147 strains of Candida spp. isolated from various clinical specimens. Both biofilm formation and antibiotic susceptibility of the isolated strains were studied using contemporary standardized microbiological methods. Results: The results of the study showed a high biofilm-forming capacity among the clinical strains of Staphylococcus spp. and Candida spp., as well as a higher level of antibiotic resistance in biofilm-producing strains compared to biofilm non-producing ones. Conclusions: The high rates of antibiotic resistance and biofilm-forming capacity of strains represent a major public health challenge. The study showed a strong correlation between biofilm formation and antimicrobial resistance patterns.

Keywords

• staphylococcus spp.
• candida spp.
• biofilm formation
• antimicrobial resistance