Nihal Bandara
University of Queensland, Australia
Title: Fungi in the Oral cavity: The opportunistic foes
Biography
Biography: Nihal Bandara
Abstract
Candida is a dimorphic fungus commonly isolated in skin, mucosa, gut and genitourinary tract. Over 50% oral cavities are colonized by Candida as a commensal organism. Due to its versatility and the ability to live in many body sites, Candida is considered an important opportunistic pathogen. According to US National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System, Candida is the 4th most common cause of bloodstream infection. Candida biofilms can readily develop in immunocompromised hosts including individuals under immunosuppressives or broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, neonates, patients with diabetes and HIV and patients having indwelling devices. Thus, Candida becomes opportunistically pathogenic and causes superficial infections in the mucosa to deep, invasive and life-threatening systemic candidiasis. In addition the incidence of noncandidal oral infections such as aspergillosis, cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, and zygomycosis (mucormycosis) is gradually increasing. Thus, the knowledge of oral fungal infections will be highly beneficial for oral health care professionals in the prevention and management of such infections in routine dental patients.
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