Nickname: Yeast

Morphology: Oval shaped, single-cell fungi that reproduce by “budding”. Budding involves changes in the parent cell wall to form a daughter cell that breaks free.

Habitat: Candida can live on the skin or in the mouth and intestines.

Disease or illness: It can cause infection at any site on the human body if normal conditions are altered. Most commonly causes infections on the skin, in the mouth or the female vagina. Infants can develop a yeast infection in the inside of the mouth called “thrush” which causes a white coating on the tongue.

Who is at risk: Persons with diabetes or an altered immune system because of disease or chemotherapy; persons who have recently taken antibiotics

Avoidance techniques: Diabetics should manage their disease properly to avoid yeast and other infections.

“I’m the yeast you want the least”