Oral Candida and nasal Aspergillus flora in a group of Saudi healthy dentate subjects

The prevalence of oral candidal carriage is widely variable in different populations but has never been studied previously in a Saudi population. Nasal mycological flora has never been investigated previously in a healthy population. Objectives: To assess the oral and nasal candidal and Aspergillus flora in a group of Saudi healthy adult dentate subjects. Design: The concentrated oral rinse technique and nasal swab technique were used to sample the oral and nasal cavity respectively. Results: Candida species were isolated from the oral cavity of 52 (52%) subjects. Candida albicans constituted 80.8% of the isolates, followed by C. krusei (5.8%). Aspergillus species were isolated from the nose of 21 (21%) subjects. A. flavus constituted 42.3% of the isolates followed by A. niger (31.8%) and A. fumigatus (26.9%). Subjects who did not brush their teeth had a significantly higher rate of oral Candida and nasal Aspergillus compared with those who brushed regularly (P = 0.02). Conclusion: Oral mycological flora in the Saudi population is not different than reported for other populations. Lack of oral hygiene increases oral candidal colonisation. Larger scale studies are encouraged to determine the prevalence of oral candidal carriage in the population generally, and the significance of nasal Aspergillus carriage should be determined.