WHAT IS IT?

Overview

Invasive candidiasis (pronounced inn·vay·suhv kan·duh·dai·uh·suhs) is a serious infection caused by the fungus Candida (pronounced kan·duh·duh).

Candida is a yeast fungus. Normally, Candida lives harmlessly on our skin and in parts of our body such as the mouth, throat, lining of the gastrointestinal tract (gut), and vagina. However, if Candida gains entry to places where it normally doesn’t live (sterile sites), it can cause invasive disease. Such invasive candidiasis typically occurs in patients who are very sick and whose immune systems are not working properly. To learn more about Candida and yeasts in general, see the SCIENCE SIDEBAR: Candida and Other Yeasts.

Invasive candidiasis is used to describe two different forms of candidiasis:

Other Forms of Candidiasis Not Covered Here

This section of the website only discusses invasive candidiasis. You may see a lot of information on the internet about non-invasive forms of candidiasis. These types of infections are typically caused by an overgrowth of Candida rather than invasion. These non-invasive forms include:

• Vulvovaginal candidiasis: Infections of the external female genitals such as the vagina and vulva
• Thrush: Overgrowth of Candida in the mouth, throat, and esophagus
• Mucocutaneous candidiasis: Overgrowth of Candida on the skin and mucous membranes, which are the moist inner linings of organs and body cavities such as the mouth. This can be a long-lasting (chronic) condition.

While these conditions can be troublesome and serious, we are only focusing on invasive candidiasis in this section. For more information about the non-invasive Candida infections, please see CDC Resources.

What’s in a Name?

The term Candida can be confusing because it is also a person’s name. There is a connection. Candida is a name derived from the Latin for white, which means purity. Thrush, the overgrowth of Candida in the mouth, often has a whitish appearance. That’s where the connection comes from. In addition, the most common form of Candida, albicans, means to whiten, further solidifying the “white” connection. To add to the confusion regarding the naming convention, some species of Candida have two different names depending on which part of the reproductive stage is seen. Click on this page to learn alternative names for Candida species. You may see different terms used in the laboratory report, so it’s helpful to recognize them.

The Burden of Invasive Candidiasis 

Invasive candidiasis is one of the most common invasive fungal infections. Candidemia is a relatively common bloodstream infection—there are approximately 25,000 cases per year in the United States.

Invasive candidiasis is a serious condition, and it tends to occur in people who are already very sick. So, for a patient with invasive candidiasis in the intensive care unit, it’s hard to separate out the prognosis related to invasive candidiasis vs the underlying illness. Recent studies suggest that one out of four people with candidemia in the hospital will die during the hospitalization.

There is also a financial burden. A hospitalization associated with invasive candidiasis can cost up to $38,000 in direct healthcare costs. Then there is the cost to the patient and the caregiver associated with the illness, including time lost away from work and other expenses.

While doctors have come a long way in recognizing and treating invasive candidiasis, we still have a long way to go to reduce the burden of this serious condition.