Abstract:
Candida is yeast-like fungi, a causative agent of candidiasis in immunocompromised persons, mainly human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients. In this study, the Candida sp. was isolated from a drinking person's oral cavity compared with a non-drinking person. The specimens were plated on Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA), and then white-creamy colonies were observed. The 97 yeast isolates were collected from a drinking www.ncst.lru.ac.th person and 89 yeast isolates were collected from a non-drinking person. After that, all of yeast isolates were identified by phenotypic method by germ tube production test and biochemical test by the carbohydrate assimilation test and fermentation test respectively. The results show, from the oral cavity of drinking person we found C. albicans 73 isolates (75.26 %), C. tropicalis 12 isolates (12.37 %), C. glabrata 3 isolates (3.09 %), C. krusei 2 isolates (2.06 %), C. famata 2 isolates (2.06 %) and (unidentified) 5 isolates (5.16 %). While the yeast isolates that collected from the oral cavity of non-drinking person were identified as C. albicans 63 isolates (70.79 %), C. tropicalis 10 isolates (11.24 %), C. glabrata 6 isolates (6.73 %), C. krusei 5 isolates (5.62 %), C. famata 3 isolates (3.37 %) and (unidentified) 2 isolates (2.25 %). The data from this study showed that the prevalence of Candida sp. and C. albicans from the oral cavity of a drinking person were higher than the non-drinking person