%0 Journal Article %A Gow, Neil A. R. %A Yadav, Bhawna %T Microbe Profile: Candida albicans: a shape-changing, opportunistic pathogenic fungus of humans %D 2017 %J Microbiology, %V 163 %N 8 %P 1145-1147 %@ 1465-2080 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.000499 %K immune response %K morphogenesis %K drug resistance %K pathogenesis %K Candida albicans %K Medical Mycology %I Microbiology Society, %X Candida albicans is normally a harmless commensal of human beings, but it can cause superficial infections of the mucosa (oral/vaginal thrush) in healthy individuals and (rarely) infections of the skin or nails. It can also become invasive, causing life-threatening systemic and bloodstream infections in immunocompromised hosts, where the mortality rate can be as high as 50 %. It is the most common cause of serious fungal infection and is a common cause of nosocomial infections in hospitals. Some strains have been recognized that are resistant to azoles or echinocandins, which are the first-line antifungals for treatment of C. albicans infections. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/mic.0.000499