Studies on Candida albicans infection in Filipino children I. Occurrence of C. albicans in the normal mouth

The study determined the prevalence of Candida albicans in the mouth of 509 Filipino children (3 mo - 10 yrs) who did not show any detectable lesions. A sterile cotton swab was used to take materials from the mouth for mycological examination. Species of C. albicans was identified using the method of BakerspigelCandida organisms were isolated from 162 (31.8%) of the 509 children studied. C. albicans was the organisms isolated from 119 (21.4%) of these children. This finding presents a difficulty in making diagnosis of oral moniliasis. The appearance of characteristic lesions and the repeated isolation of C. albicans in large number are deemed necessary in the diagnosis of oral moniliasis