The First Isolation and Diagnosis of Cytobasidium slooffiae from Women Suffering from Vulvovaginitis in the City of Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Vaginitis is still a health concern for women. The vagina is susceptible to trichomoniasis, bacterial vaginosis, and yeast infections due to its squamous epithelium. This is an original research project on the isolation of Cystobasidium slooffiae, from patients with cervical vulvovaginal infection in Erbil hospitals. In order to determine the frequency of C. slooffiae as the main reason of vaginal-cervical infection in women of reproductive age in Erbil city, this innovative study set out to identify it. By employing the universal primers ITS1 and ITS4, DNA sequencing verified the phenotypic and molecular identification techniques. The study also contains a test for the production of biofilms using Congo red agar (CRA), along with the discovery of the biofilm virulence genes; ALS1 and HWP1. Moreover, using the disc diffusion method to assess C. slooffiae's antifungal susceptibilities. The identification of Cystobasidium isolates were tested phenotypically. The positive cultures include: non-Cystobasidium species, and C. slooffiae. Nucleotide sequence information for C. slooffiae is available under GenBank accession number OQ568166. The results of the ANOVA test revealed significantly variations in the level of sensitivity of C. slooffiae in opposition to antifungal discs, it was noted to be sensitive to every antifungal disc that was tested: Econazole (24mm) and ketoconazole (20mm), while resistance for each of Miconazole (8mm) and Nystatin (12mm). C. slooffiae was identified using a traditional and sequencing strategy, which seems to be a dependable, quick, and economical method. Not creating a biofilm and their sensitivity to different antifungal drugs were observed in C. slooffiae.