Candida

Article By:

Calderone, Richard Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC.

Last reviewed:May 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.106050

A genus comprising yeasts that cause a variety of human diseases referred to as candidiasis. All Candida species are single-celled yeasts (fungal organisms) that are ovoid in shape and 3–5 μm in size, and they multiply by a process called budding. Most of these species also produce filamentous growths, which appear as segmented tubelike structures (usually called pseudohyphae) that emerge as outgrowths from the unicellular yeasts. The most common species of the genus Candida that cause disease are C. albicans (Fig. 1), C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis, and C. krusei. In particular, the frequency of disease caused by the last four species has increased since the introduction of fluconazole (an antifungal agent) because they are more often fluconazole-resistant. In addition, C. auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant organism that is responsible for significant invasive infections with high mortality. See also: Drug resistance; Fungal infections; Fungi; Fungistat and fungicide; Medical mycology; Yeast

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