Question:medium
A fungus that causes infection in immunocompetent individuals is:
A fungus that causes infection in immunocompetent individuals is:
Show Hint
Which fungus is a normal commensal that causes thrush in healthy people?
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Aspergillus
- Penicillium
- Cryptococcus
- Candida
Show Solution
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Sort the four fungi into opportunistic versus those that trouble healthy people.
$Aspergillus$ generally needs a weakened host to invade, for example a neutropenic patient, so it sits in the opportunistic group. $Penicillium$, the agent now called Talaromyces marneffei, is strongly linked to advanced HIV and other immunodeficiency, so it too is opportunistic. $Cryptococcus$ is famous for causing meningitis in AIDS patients and other immunosuppressed hosts, placing it in the same opportunistic category.
Now consider $Candida$. It is part of the body's normal flora and lives quietly on skin and mucous membranes. Minor shifts such as antibiotic use, moisture, or local factors are enough to let it cause oral thrush, napkin rash, or vaginal candidiasis even when the immune system is completely normal. This everyday ability to infect healthy people sets it apart.
So the fungus that infects immunocompetent individuals is Candida.
\[\boxed{\text{Candida}}\]
$Aspergillus$ generally needs a weakened host to invade, for example a neutropenic patient, so it sits in the opportunistic group. $Penicillium$, the agent now called Talaromyces marneffei, is strongly linked to advanced HIV and other immunodeficiency, so it too is opportunistic. $Cryptococcus$ is famous for causing meningitis in AIDS patients and other immunosuppressed hosts, placing it in the same opportunistic category.
Now consider $Candida$. It is part of the body's normal flora and lives quietly on skin and mucous membranes. Minor shifts such as antibiotic use, moisture, or local factors are enough to let it cause oral thrush, napkin rash, or vaginal candidiasis even when the immune system is completely normal. This everyday ability to infect healthy people sets it apart.
So the fungus that infects immunocompetent individuals is Candida.
\[\boxed{\text{Candida}}\]
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