Interactions between bacteria and Candida in the burn wound

In order to understand whether the presence of some bacterial species affects the growth of Candida sp. in the wounds of burn patients, we have studied the effect of various bacterial species, collected from burn wounds on the growth of Candida sp. on Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) slants. A total of 300 burn patient samples were analyzed over a period of 2 years. Results of this analysis revealed that Pseudomonas sp. when present alone or in combination with other bacterial species invariably inhibited Candida sp. growth. Thus, we conclude that the absence of Candida sp. in burn wounds, where Pseudomonas sp. is present, is due to the inhibition of Candida growth by this bacterial species. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.