Candida pararugosa isolation from the oral cavity of an Italian denture wearer

Candida pararugosa was first isolated from human feces, but after the initial description no further recovery from humans has been reported. During a study on oral Candida colonization in denture wearers living in Palermo (Italy), we isolated C. pararugosa from a 61-year-old woman without signs of oral candidosis. This constitutes, to the authors' knowledge, the first isolation of C. pararugosa from the oral cavity. After six months, colonization by C. pararugosa persisted, suggesting that this species could be a component of the normal oral microbiota. The identification procedure we used could be useful in elucidating the epidemiology of C. pararugosa and for establishing its clinical significance.