Candida and candidiasis

Abstract

Candida species comprehend a wide group of opportunistic pathogens that usually form a part of the microbiota on human linings. Under specific conditions such as immune depression, tissue invasion and infection may occur. Candida infections are ranked as the sixth most common cause of nosocomial infections according to studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, thus constituting a serious public health problem. Candida albicans has been the most studied member of this species; nevertheless, non-albicans species have risen as emergent pathogens in many regions across the globe. This text presents an outlook of Candida and its infections, including the historical aspects of the fungus, epidemiology and clinical manifestations of the infection, diagnostic techniques as well as treatment guidelines.