In vitro antifungal susceptibility profiles of Cryptococcus species isolated from HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis patients in Zimbabwe

- First report of susceptibility profiles of Cryptococcus species in Zimbabwe.
- Fluconazole and flucytosine were less susceptible against all Cryptococcus genotypes.
- The majority of isolates were susceptible to all 7 antifungal agents tested.

Cryptococcus neoformans is the leading cause of cryptococcosis in HIV-infected subjects worldwide. Treatment of cryptococcosis is based on amphotericin B, flucytosine, and fluconazole. In Zimbabwe, little is known about antifungal susceptibility of Cryptococcus. Sixty-eight genotyped Cryptococcus isolates were tested for antifungal profiles. Amphotericin B, isavuconazole, and voriconazole showed higher activity than other triazoles. Fluconazole and flucytosine were less effective, with geometric mean MICs of 2.24 and 2.67 mg/L for C. neoformans AFLP1/VNI, 1.38 and 1.53 mg/L for C. neoformans AFLP1A/VNB/VNII and AFLP1B/VNII, and 1.85 and 0.68 mg/L for Cryptococcus tetragattii, respectively. A significant difference between flucytosine geometric mean MICs of C. neoformans and C. tetragattii was observed (P = 0.0002). The majority of isolates (n = 66/68; 97.1%) had a wild-type MIC phenotype of all antifungal agents. This study demonstrates a favorable situation with respect to the tested antifungals agents. Continued surveillance of antifungal susceptibility profiles is important due to the high burden of cryptococcosis in Africa.