Candida albicans is a fungal pathogen that can be detected in both urinary tract infections and wound infections.
Urinary tract infections: Candida albicans is the most common fungal cause of UTIs, particularly in patients with indwelling catheters, diabetes, recent antibiotic use, or immunosuppression. Candiduria may be asymptomatic or cause symptoms similar to bacterial UTIs, and distinguishing colonization from infection is critical in management. Its frequent identification in hospitalized patients makes it a relevant target in PCR panels for comprehensive UTI diagnostics (Kauffman et al. 2011, Odabasi & Mert 2020).
Wound infections: Candida albicans is a frequent fungal pathogen in chronic wounds, where it forms biofilms that resist antifungal treatment and prolong infection. Its interaction with bacterial species further exacerbates wound severity and delays healing. Accurate detection of C. albicans is critical for implementing effective antifungal strategies in wound management (Gil et al. 2022, James et al. 2008).
Kauffman CA, Fisher JF, Sobel JD, Newman CA. Candida urinary tract infections–diagnosis. Clin Infect Dis. 2011 May;52 Suppl 6:S452-6. doi: 10.1093/cid/cir111. PMID: 21498838.
Odabasi Z, Mert A. Candida urinary tract infections in adults. World J Urol. 2020 Nov;38(11):2699-2707. doi: 10.1007/s00345-019-02991-5. Epub 2019 Oct 25. PMID: 31654220.
Gil, J., Solis, M., Higa, A., & Davis, S. C. (2022). Candida albicans Infections: a novel porcine wound model to evaluate treatment efficacy. BMC microbiology, 22(1), 45.
James, G. A., Swogger, E., Wolcott, R., Pulcini, E.d, Secor, P., Sestrich, J., Costerton, J. W., & Stewart, P. S. (2008). Biofilms in chronic wounds. Wound repair and regeneration : official publication of the Wound Healing Society [and] the European Tissue Repair Society, 16(1), 37–44.
