May is Fungal Infection Awareness Month in the United States. The purpose of this observance is to increase awareness of fungal infections and their global impact on people. Candida albicans and other related species are yeasts that typically exist within the body and on the skin without causing illness but can lead to candidemia and invasive candidiasis in immunocompromised patient populations. In the United States, candidemia is one of the primary causes of bloodstream infections in hospitalized patients, numbering 25,000 cases annually in the Unites States alone (according to recent CDC estimates) and often resulting in prolonged hospital stays, morbidity, mortality and considerable medical expenses. In fact, each case of candidemia can result in an additional hospitalization period of 3 to 13 days and between $6,000 to $29,000 in health care costs.

The changing epidemiology of non-albicans Candida species, potential unpredictable dose-exposure relationships with some current antifungal drugs, such as in patients who are critically ill or obese, and emerging resistance to antifungal drugs are of paramount concern in this field. Despite significant advances in antifungal therapy over the past two decades, mortality rates remain between 30% and 60%, and treatment failure remains high.

Learning Objectives:
* Identify the Candida species that can cause candidemia and invasive candidiasis and their respective prevalence.
* Identify the groups at risk for candidemia and invasive candidiasis and the burden of disease across all health care settings.
* Examine how invasive candidiasis is diagnosed earlier than current practice suggests and potential treatment strategies.
* Review current trends in antifungal resistance amongst Candida albicans and non-albicans species.
* Identify areas where candidemia prevention, infection control and intervention strategies should be focused to improve current practice.

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