Read more about this disease, some with Classification – Types – Signs and symptoms – Genetics – Pathophysiology – Diagnosis – Screening – Prevention – Treatment and management – Cures and much more, some including pictures and video when available.
Candida is a genus of yeasts. Many species of this genus are endosymbionts of animal hosts including humans. While usually living as commensals, some Candida species have the potential to cause disease. Clinically, the most significant member of the genus is Candida albicans, which can cause infections (called candidiasis or thrush) in humans and other animals, especially in immunocompromised patients.[1] Many Candida species are members of gut flora in animals, including C. albicans in mammalian hosts, whereas others live as endosymbionts in insect hosts.[2][3]
The last decade has seen the sustained medical importance of opportunistic infections due to different Candida species mainly due to the worldwide increase in the number of immunocompromised patients, who are highly susceptible to opportunistic infections.[4] Meanwhile, the genome sequence of several Candida species has been completed, enabling the detailed investigation of some aspects of their biology with the aid of post-genomic approaches. The basic knowledge gained from these investigations of pathogenic Candida, and related yeasts, can translate into innovations in the development of novel antifungal therapies, original approaches for targeted immuno-interventions, or highly sensitive diagnosis of fungal infections.[4]
Practitioners of alternative medicine claim that Candida overgrowth can cause various health problems, from fatigue to weight gain, but this is rejected by most doctors and there is no evidence to support the theory.[5][6]
Candida antarctica is a source of industrially relevant lipases.
Grown in the laboratory, Candida appears as large, round, white or cream (albicans is from Latin meaning ‘whitish’) colonies on agar plates.[7]
Some Candida species are responsible for superficial infections such as oropharyngeal candidiasis (thrush) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (vaginal Candidiasis). In otherwise healthy individuals, these infections can be cured with antifungal medications. However, persistent and deep-seated yeast infections can be lethal in, e.g., AIDS patients.
Candida are also responsible for a number of life-threatening opportunistic infections in AIDS patients and other immunocompromised persons – including patients treated in intensive care units (ICUs), cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, and organ transplant patients.[4] Another common Candida infection is oral candidiasis caused by acrylic dentures, especially in elderly denture wearers.[8] Colonization of the gastrointestinal tract by C. albicans may result from taking antacids or antihyperacidity drugs. This colonization may interfere with absorption of Coenzyme Q10.[9]
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