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Candida and Candidemia
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Candida and Candidemia

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X). This special issue belongs to the section "Fungal Pathogenesis and Disease Control".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2026) | Viewed by 2702

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Daniel Archimedes da Matta

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Interests: Candida species; candidemia; antifungal epidemiology; resistance; fungal infection diagnosis; molecular identification

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Invasive fungal infection, particularly by yeast species associated with the genus Candida, is notably recognized by the high incidence of fungemia and morbidity and mortality in medical centers worldwide. At the same time, an increase in antifungal resistance rates has been observed in the last two decades among the most common species of Candida. Furthermore, the emergence of the multidrug-resistant pathogen C. auris with a high capacity to cause outbreaks in healthcare settings has brought many concerns to global public health systems. Improving diagnostic detection and understanding the epidemiology of candidemia and the distribution of Candida species and antifungal resistance rates are crucial to preventing and controlling these infections. Efforts have been made by health centers to develop the best strategies for treatment, surveillance, and monitoring of these infections, particularly for species less susceptible to antimicrobials.

Dr. Daniel Archimedes da Matta
Guest Editor

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Fungi is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • candidemia
  • fungemia
  • treatment
  • Candida species
  • Pichia species
  • Nakaseomyces glabratus
  • antifungal resistance
  • fungal infection diagnosis
  • molecular identification
  • MALDI-TOF

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 1639 KB  
Article
Ndt80 Orchestrates Copper Stress Responses and Mitochondrial Homeostasis in Candida albicans
by Hsuan-Yu Chen, Hsiu-Jung Lo, Chi-Jan Lin and Chung-Yu Lan
J. Fungi 2026, 12(4), 294; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof12040294 - 20 Apr 2026
Viewed by 446
Abstract
Copper is a crucial cofactor that sustains multiple cellular electron-transfer reactions, making it an essential element for life. However, cytotoxic levels of copper can cause structural damage and cell death through the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nonspecific attacks on proteins. [...] Read more.
Copper is a crucial cofactor that sustains multiple cellular electron-transfer reactions, making it an essential element for life. However, cytotoxic levels of copper can cause structural damage and cell death through the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nonspecific attacks on proteins. Moreover, immune cells, including neutrophils and macrophages, accumulate copper to induce oxidative bursts that kill engulfed pathogens. Therefore, a well-regulated copper homeostasis system is required for the human commensal fungus Candida albicans to thrive in extreme host environments. Remarkably, C. albicans exhibits higher copper tolerance than the nonpathogenic model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, suggesting the presence of a specific copper tolerance mechanism that supports its adaptability to copper stress. Ndt80 is a versatile transcription factor that regulates several biological processes in C. albicans, ranging from morphological control to drug resistance. This study further reveals that Ndt80 may contribute to copper tolerance by regulating copper transporters and copper-dependent superoxide dismutases (Sods). Additionally, RNA sequencing and complementary approaches uncovered the involvement of Ndt80 in plasma membrane integrity and mitochondrial respiration under copper stress, further linking Ndt80 to copper tolerance. Together, these results broaden our understanding of Ndt80 functions and provide new insights into copper tolerance in C. albicans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Candida and Candidemia)
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13 pages, 254 KB  
Article
Ophthalmic Evaluation and Ocular Candidiasis in Patients with Candidemia: A Retrospective Cohort Study from Thailand
by Sorawit Chittrakarn, Nonthanat Tongsengkee, Siripen Kanchanasuwan, Narongdet Kositpanthawong and Nattapat Sangkakul
J. Fungi 2026, 12(3), 173; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof12030173 - 27 Feb 2026
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Abstract
Background: Ocular candidiasis is a serious metastatic complication of candidemia that may lead to irreversible visual impairment. Although recent meta-analyses suggest an overall prevalence of approximately 10%, real-world data from Southeast Asia remain limited. Regional differences in Candida species distribution, antifungal resistance patterns, [...] Read more.
Background: Ocular candidiasis is a serious metastatic complication of candidemia that may lead to irreversible visual impairment. Although recent meta-analyses suggest an overall prevalence of approximately 10%, real-world data from Southeast Asia remain limited. Regional differences in Candida species distribution, antifungal resistance patterns, and health-care resources may influence both the incidence of ocular candidiasis and the utilization of ophthalmic evaluation in routine practice. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients aged ≥15 years with candidemia at a 900-bed tertiary-care university hospital in southern Thailand between January 2014 and August 2025. Only the first episode of candidemia per patient was included. Ophthalmic evaluation was defined as a dilated funduscopic examination performed by an ophthalmologist within 4 weeks of candidemia onset. Ocular candidiasis was classified as Candida chorioretinitis or Candida endophthalmitis according to established definitions. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors independently associated with receipt of ophthalmic evaluation. Results: Among 337 patients with candidemia, 67 (19.9%) underwent ophthalmic evaluation. Ocular candidiasis was diagnosed in 9 of 67 evaluated patients (13.4%), corresponding to an overall incidence of 2.7% in the entire cohort. Five patients (7.5%) had Candida chorioretinitis and four (6.0%) had Candida endophthalmitis, including two concordant and two discordant cases. Visual symptoms were assessable in 35 patients, among whom only 4 (11.4%) reported visual complaints; most patients with ocular candidiasis were asymptomatic at diagnosis. Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis accounted for 55.6% and 44.4% of ocular candidiasis cases, respectively, and bilateral ocular involvement was observed in 77.8%. Ophthalmic findings led to modification of antifungal therapy in 7 of 9 patients with ocular candidiasis (77.8%), most commonly through addition or switching to an azole-based regimen and/or prolongation of treatment duration. In multivariable analysis, vasopressor use at candidemia onset was independently associated with a lower likelihood of ophthalmic evaluation, whereas early infectious diseases consultation was independently associated with increased odds of receiving ophthalmic evaluation. Conclusions: In this Southeast Asian cohort, ophthalmic evaluation was infrequently performed but yielded clinically actionable findings and frequently altered antifungal management. The observed incidence of ocular candidiasis among examined patients was higher than that reported in Western countries. Underutilization of an ophthalmic evaluation appears to reflect illness severity and care pathway factors rather than low disease burden, suggesting that the true incidence of ocular candidiasis may be underestimated. Integrating ophthalmic evaluation into standardized candidemia care pathways may improve detection of ocular involvement, particularly in resource-limited settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Candida and Candidemia)

Other

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8 pages, 628 KB  
Brief Report
Early Signal Without Clinical Cases: A Single Clade III Candidozyma auris Isolate from a Face Mask Highlights the Value of Environmental Quality Control
by Angelika Bauer, Astrid Mayr, Stephanie Toepfer, Kathrin Spettel, Birgit Willinger, Richard Kriz and Cornelia Lass-Flörl
J. Fungi 2026, 12(5), 307; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof12050307 - 23 Apr 2026
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Abstract
Candidozyma auris (C. auris) is an emerging healthcare-associated yeast of major epidemiological concern because of its multidrug resistance and outbreak potential. We report the recovery of a single C. auris isolate from a used face mask collected in May 2025 during [...] Read more.
Candidozyma auris (C. auris) is an emerging healthcare-associated yeast of major epidemiological concern because of its multidrug resistance and outbreak potential. We report the recovery of a single C. auris isolate from a used face mask collected in May 2025 during a blinded dental medicine quality-control programme assessing microbial contamination in the working environment. To contextualise this finding, we analysed routine diagnostic laboratory data from 2017 to 2025. The isolate underwent whole-genome sequencing for molecular characterisation, including analysis of the ERG11 gene, and antifungal susceptibility testing by EUCAST broth microdilution. In addition, 53,802 patient-related Candida spp. isolates collected between 2017 and 2025 were reviewed retrospectively; species identification had been performed by MALDI-TOF. The environmental isolate belonged to clade III and carried the V125A/F126L substitutions in ERG11, consistent with African clade isolates and associated with intrinsically high fluconazole minimum inhibitory concentrations. No C. auris was detected in routine patient specimens during the study period, whereas Candida albicans remained the predominant species in clinical samples. These findings provide no evidence of ongoing C. auris transmission at the Medical University of Innsbruck, but highlight the need for continued vigilance and robust infection-prevention measures to limit the risk posed by isolated introductions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Candida and Candidemia)
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