Candida is a genus of yeasts. Many species are harmless commensals or endosymbionts of hosts including humans, but other species, or harmless species in the wrong location, can cause disease. Candida albicans can cause infections in humans and other animals, especially in immunocompromised patients. In winemaking, some species of Candida can create potential faults in wines. Many species are found in gut flora, including C. albicans in mammalian hosts, whereas others live as endosymbionts in insect hosts. Systemic infections of the bloodstream and major organs, particularly in immunocompromised patients, affect over 90,000 people a year in the U.S., with a 40–50% mortality. The DNA of several Candida species have been sequenced. Antibiotics promote yeast infections, including gastrointestinal Candida overgrowth, and penetration of the GI mucosa. While women are more susceptible to genital yeast infections, men can in fact get them as well. Certain factors, like prolonged antibiotic use, increase the risk for both men and women. Also, individuals with diabetes or impaired immune systems, such as those with HIV, are more susceptible to yeast infections. Wikipedia [ - ]

Candida is a genus of yeasts. Many species are harmless commensals or endosymbionts of hosts... [ + ]