Biology Dept. / Mycology Seminar

2. Overview
• Candida ssp is an
opportunistic fungus
(yeast).
• It can infect the
mouth, vagina, skin, sto
mach, and urinary tract.
• About 75% of women
will get a vaginal yeast
infection during their
lifetime.

3. Candidiasis
• A yeast infection results from an
overgrowth of yeast anywhere in the
body.
• Candidiasis is by far the most common
type of yeast infection.
• There are more than 20 species of
Candida, the most common being
Candida albicans.

4. Classification
Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Ascomycota
Subphylum: Saccharomycotina
Class: Saccharomycetes
Order: Saccharomycetales
Family: Saccharomycetaceae
Genus: Candida

5. Candidiasis
• These fungi live on all surfaces of our
bodies. Under certain conditions, they can
become so numerous they cause
infections, particularly in warm and moist
areas.
• Candidiasis encompasses infections that
range from superficial, such as oral thrush
and vaginitis, to systemic and potentially
life-threatening diseases.

6. Yeast

7. Signs and symptoms
• Most candidial infections are treatable and result in
minimal complications such as redness, itching and
discomfort, though complication may be severe or fatal
if left untreated in certain populations.
• Thrush is commonly seen in infants.
• Children, mostly between the ages of three and nine
years of age, can be affected by chronic mouth yeast
infections, normally seen around the mouth as white
patches. However, this is not a common condition.

8. Causes
• A weakened or undeveloped immune
system or metabolic illnesses such as
diabetes are significant predisposing factors
of candidiasis.
• Candida yeasts are commonly present in
humans, and their growth is normally limited
by the human immune system and by other
microorganisms, such as bacteria occupying
the same locations in the human body.

9. Conditions
• Candida infection more likely to develop
in some cases, including:
-Diabetes,
-HIV infection,
-Cancer,
-Dry mouth, and
-Pregnancy.

10. Candidiasis

11. Oral Candidiasis (Thrush)

12. Thrush
• Thrush is a yeast infection of the mucus
membrane lining the mouth and
tongue.
• Oral infections are most common in
infants, elderly
people, and those
with a weakened
immune system.

13. Causes
• Thrush is caused by forms of a fungus called
Candida. A small amount of this fungus lives in
your mouth most of the time. It is usually kept in
check by your immune system and other types
of germs that also normally live in your mouth.
• However, when your immune system is weak,
the fungus can grow.
• Thrush is commonly seen in infants. It is not
considered abnormal in infants unless it lasts
longer than a couple of weeks.

14. Symptoms
• Thrush usually develops suddenly, but it may
become chronic, persisting over a long period
of time.
• A common sign of thrush is the presence of
creamy white, slightly raised lesions in your
mouth -usually on your tongue-.
• The lesions, can be painful and may bleed
slightly when you scrape them or brush your
teeth.

15. Symptoms
• In severe cases, the lesions may
spread into your esophagus, or
swallowing tube, causing pain or
difficulty swallowing.
• Thrush can spread to other parts of
the body, including the lungs, liver,
and skin.

16. Thrush

17. Treatment
• Medications that inhibit the
growth of fungi (antifungals) are
the standard treatment for thrush.
These medications are either
applied directly to the affected
area (topical) or swallowed (oral).

18. Cutaneous candidiasis
• Cutaneous candidiasis include:
– Paronychia and onychomycosis.
– Diaper candidiasis.
– Intertrigo candidiasis.

19. Cutaneous candidiasis
Paronychia:-
• Paronychia of the finger nails may develop in persons
whose hands are subject to continuous wetting,
especially with sugar solutions or contact with flour, that
macerates the nail folds and cuticle.
• In chronic cases the infection
may progress to cause
onychomycosis with total
detachment of the cuticle
from the nail plate.

20. Paronychia

21. Cutaneous candidiasis
Diaper:-
• Diaper candidiasis is common in infants
under unhygienic conditions of chronic
moisture and local skin maceration
associated with ammonitic
irritation due to irregularly
changed unclean diapers.

22. • References
• http://www.emedicinehealth.com/slideshow_skin_problems
/article_em.htm
• http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/candidiasis-
000030.htm
• http://www.mycology.adelaide.edu.au/Mycoses/Cutaneous
/Candidiasis/
• http://www.emedicinehealth.com/candidiasis_yeast_infecti
on/article_em.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candidiasis
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_candidiasis
• http://www.skinsight.com/adult/oralCandidiasisThrush.htm