A study of candidosis: The role of fomites

Abstract

This study investigates treatment failure and recurrences of vulvo-vaginal candidosis. It reviews the factors possibly associated with both. Patients attending a department of genitourinary medicine with recurrent candidosis (N = 186) were entered in the trial. The patients were investigated for evidence of candidosis from vagina, rectal wall and buccal mucosa and were given antifungal therapy. Prevention and reinfection via fomites was studied by means of a single blind parallel study comparing the effect of soaking undergarments in the amphoteric biocide Tego 103G with the effect of a placebo soak. General and possible contributory factors influencing treatment and failure and recurrences were considered. The success rate of miconazole therapy was typical of any imidazole therapy: 85.4%. There was no evidence that modern oral contraceptives played a role in candidosis. Oral nystan reduced the rectal wall carriage from 39.2% to 23.2%. Oral yeast carriage rate in women was 37.6%. The recurrence rate over a six month period was 47.4%. The laboratory results of Tego soaking reduced the yeast carriage on panties from 85.2% to 23.4%. However, no evidence was found in the trial results that panties were a significant source of reinfection.