Question

A female patient presents with complaints of thick white vaginal secretions. Which of the following can be used to identify the likely species of the causative agent?

• A. Birds seed agar
• B. Brain heart infusion agar
• C. CHRO Magar
• D. Sabouraud dextrose agar

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

In microbiology, identifying the causative agent of an infection like the thick white vaginal secretions in a female patient often involves culturing the specimen on different agars. The goal is to determine the presence of the yeast Candida species, which is a common cause of such symptoms. Each agar type has specific use cases:

1. Birds seed agar:	Typically used to identify Cryptococcus species by detecting melanin production.
2. Brain heart infusion agar:	A general-purpose medium that supports the growth of a wide range of organisms but is not specific for identifying Candida species.
3. CHRO Magar:	Specially formulated for the isolation and differentiation of Candida species based on colony color, making it suitable for identifying the specific species causing the infection.
4. Sabouraud dextrose agar:	Commonly used to culture fungi but does not differentiate between Candida species.

Given these options, CHRO Magar is the best choice for identifying the specific Candida species responsible for the infection due to its unique ability to distinguish between species based on colony color.