Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Microbiology 2008-3289 14 3 2022 06 14 423 429 Ashkan Faridi Student Research Committee, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Zoonoses Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran Azam Amanizadeh Medical Mycology and Bacteriology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran Seyyed Amin Ayatollahi Mosavi Medical Mycology and Bacteriology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran Samira Salari Medical Mycology and Bacteriology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran Davood Kalantar-Neyestanaki Medical Mycology and Bacteriology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Department of Medical Microbiology (Bacteriology & Virology), Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran Somayeh Sharifynia Clinical Tuberculosis and Epidemiology Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Setareh Agha Kuchak Afshari Medical Mycology and Bacteriology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran 2021 08 15 2022 04 22 Background and Objectives: Candida albicans complex species are well known as the main cause of candidiasis, particularly among susceptible individuals. In this study, we report the genetic diversity of Candida spp. and the antifungal susceptibility pattern of the cryptic C. albicans complex isolates in Kerman, Iran. Materials and Methods: A total of 112 yeast isolates were obtained from different clinical samples, and molecular identification was performed. All C. albicans complex isolates were tested for susceptibility of them to amphotericin B, fluconazole, and itraconazole. Results: The majority of clinical isolates were C. albicans complex (n=48) followed by C. glabrata complex (n=34), C. parapsilosis complex (n=21), and C. krusei (n=9). Among C. albicans complex, 45 isolates were C. albicans (94%), 2 isolates were C. dubliniensis (4%), and 1 isolate was C. africana (2%). Amphotericin B was the most active antifungal, whereas 8.9% and 6.7% of the isolates were resistant to fluconazole and itraconazole, respectively. Conclusion: Regarding the high incidence of Candida infections particularly in susceptible populations and the emergence of an infrequent yeast species with elevated MICs, which is indistinguishable with conventional methods, developing accurate molecular methods for laboratory diagnosis should be considered in the clinical setting. https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/view/3280 https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/download/3280/1471