The document provides an overview of Candida, a yeast-like fungus responsible for various infections known as candidiasis, including mucosal, cutaneous, invasive, and allergic manifestations. It details the classification of Candida species, predisposing factors, clinical symptoms, and laboratory diagnosis techniques, including culture and identification methods. Treatment options for candidiasis are also discussed, focusing on antifungal medications and specific therapies for different infection types.

1. 1
CANDIDA
K. DEVADHARSHINI (24MBTB03),
I-M.Sc., MICROBIOLOGY,
DEPT. OF MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY,
BHARATHIAR UNIVERSITY,
COIMBATORE.
SUBJECT : BACTERIOLOGY AND MYCOLOGY

2. 2
CANDIDA
 Yeast like fungus (produces pseudo hyphae)
 Unicellular, reproduce by budding & fission
 Macroscopic appearance – pasty colonies in
culture
 Microscopic appearance – spherical or oval
forms

3. 3
MICROSCOPIC APPEARANCE MACROSCOPIC APPEARANCE

4. 4
Candida species
 Candida albicans - most common pathogenic
candida.
 Other Candida species which occasionally cause
infection includes – C. tropicalis, C. glabrata, C.
krusei, C. viswanathii.

5. 5
CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom : Fungi
Phylum : Ascomycota
Class : Ascomycetes
Order :
Saccharomycetales
Family : Saccharomycetaceae
Genus : Candida

6. 6
CANDIDIASIS
Predisposing Factors
 Physiological state
 Low immunity
 Patients on broad spectrum antibiotics
 Other conditions : Diabetes mellitus, febrile
neutropenia

7. 7
CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS
Candida species produce a spectrum of infections
ranging from skin and mucosal to invasive and
allergic infections.
 Mucosal candidiasis
 Cutaneous candidiasis
 Invasive candidiasis
 Allergic candidiasis

8. 8
Mucosal candidiasis
 Oropharyngeal candidiasis (oral thrush) – Cream
white, adherent, painless patches in tongue .
Found in – bottle fed infants, aged & debilitated
persons.
 Candidal vulvovaginitis – acidic vaginal discharge,
become whitish curd like in severe cases. Found in

9. 9
 Balanitis and balanoposthitis – occurs in
uncircumcised males.
 Esophageal candidiasis
 Angular stomatitis and denture stomatitis
 Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis – seen in
infants and children with deficient CMI.

10. 10
ANGULAR STOMATITIS
ORAL THRUSH DENTURE
STOMATITIS
CANDIDAL VULVOVAGINITI

11. 11
Cutaneous candidiasis
 Intertriginous – erythema and skin folds
 Paronychia
 Onychomycosis
 Diaper candidiasis
 Perianal candidiasis
 Generalized disseminated cutaneous

12. 12
PARONYCHIA ONYCHOMYCOSIS DIAPER CANDIDIASIS

13. 13
Invasive candidiasis
Results from hematogenous or local spread of
the fungi.
 Urinary tract infection, Pulmonary
candidiasis, Septicemia, Arthritis and
Osteomyelitis, Meningitis, Nosocomial
candidiasis

14. 14
Allergic candidiasis
 Candidid – allergic reaction to metabolites of
Candida, vesicular lesions in hands and other
areas, similar to dermatophytid reaction (both
conditions are together called ‘id’ reaction.
 Gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome, eczema

15. 15
LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS
Specimen collection – whitish mucosal patches,
skin and nail scrapings, sputum, urine or blood.
Direct microscopy – Gram positive oval budding
yeast cells (4-6 μm) with pseudo hyphae

16. 16
Culture :
• Inoculated onto SDA and incubated at 37°C.
• Also grow in blood agar.
• Colonies appear in 1-2 days – creamy white,
smooth and pasty with typical yeasty odor.

17. 17
TESTS FOR
SPECIES
IDENTIFICATION

18. 18
GERM TUBE TEST :
• Also called Reynolds Braude phenomenon.
• Rapid method of identifying C. albicans
• Colonies are mixed with human or sheep serum
and incubated for 2 hours. Wet mount
preparation is examined under microscope.
• Germ tubes are formed – long tube projections
extending from the yeast cell.

19. 19
DALMAU PLATE CULTURE:
• Culture on cornmeal agar / Rice starch agar at
20°C can provide clue for species
identification.
• C. albicans produces refractile, terminal thick
walled chlamydospores.
CHROM AGAR:
• C. albicans – Light green

20. 20
GERM TUBE FORMATION CANDIDA SP., ON CHROM AGAR

21. 21
GROWTH AT 45°C – differentiates C. albicans
(grow) from C. dubliniensis (does not grow at
45°C)
SUGAR FERMENTATION TEST AND SUGAR
ASSIMILATION TEST – differentiates between
various Candida species.

22. 22
TREATMENT
Antifungal drugs – Nystatin, Amphotericin B,
5-Fluorocytosine, Ketoconazole, Miconazole,
Fluconazole
• Cutaneous candidiasis or oral thrush – topical
azole
• Esophageal & vulvovaginal candidiasis –
fluconazole

23. 23