The genus Candida contains a range of clinically important yeast-like fungi including the important human pathogen Candida albicans .

Diseases caused by Candida species include superficial infections of the oral cavity and vagina and deep-seated systemic infections, which have a mortality rate of 35-50%. In the majority of cases, these infections occur in immunocompromised individuals. In addition to C. albicans , a number of other species belonging to the genus Candida have increasingly been identified as important human pathogens. One of the most interesting of these species is C. dubliniensis .

C. dubliniensis was first identified and described in 1995. It is particularly associated with oral candidosis in HIV-infected individuals. Prior to this date, C. dubliniensis isolates were misidentified as C. albicans due to their ability to produce germ tubes and chlamydospores, traits previously used for the definitive identification of C. albicans .

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