Candida species: the silent enemy

Abstract

Candida species are known to cause serious infections in immunocompromised patients but uncommon cases have been reported in immunocompetent individuals regardless of the harmless co-existence of the fungi with the host. Recently, the incidence rate of candidiasis has increased dramatically alongside the emergence of antifungal resistance. Although conventional methods to ensure prompt diagnosis of candidiasis for effective therapy have been established, the scientific world is witnessing progress in the development of more accurate, timely and cost-effective methods that is coinciding with the molecular revolution and advanced DNA analysis. Moreover, the challenges of resistance of Candida to available antifungal agents are being met with the deployment of molecular techniques to investigate the mechanisms of resistance. This review is an attempt to provide up-to-date information on the persistent problems of Candida with highlights on the clinical importance, molecular diagnosis, and resistance to candidate antifungal drugs; azoles and echinocandins.

Keywords: Candida, resistance, molecular diagnosis, azole, echinocandin