Although Candida is frequently present in the mouth and along the gastrointestinal tract, it does not usually cause illness in people with healthy immune systems. In people with an impaired immune system, however, it often overgrows, producing a characteristic thick, whitish coating. While candidiasis usually remains confined to the mouth, it can spread to the esophagus and other parts of the gastrointestinal tract and to the respiratory system, posing more serious problems. Esophageal candidiasis, for example, can be extraordinarily uncomfortable, making swallowing difficult and eating painful or, in some cases, impossible.
Diagnosis is made by examining the characteristic thick, whitish coating or discharge.
Although cryptococcosis can infect numerous organs, including the lung, skin, blood, bone marrow, prostate, and genitourinary tract, more than half the time it manifests itself as meningitis, or infection and inflammation of the brain. The symptoms of cryptococcal meningitis can often be subtle, with nonspecific symptoms such as fever and headache. Alternatively, blood or cerebrospinal fluid samples can be incubated so that the yeast may grow and be easily identified. While this treatment is quite effective, the organism is never entirely eradicated, and relapse rates are high. When contaminated soil is disturbed, the fungus can be airborne and subsequently inhaled.