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Candida theae sp. nov., a new member of the Lodderomyces clade found independently in Ecuador and Taiwan.

Yeast researchers from the National Collection of Yeast Cultures (UK), the Colección Quito Católica (Ecuador) and the National Hsinchu University of Education (Taiwain) have jointly discovered, and subsequently described, a new species of Candida belonging to the Lodderomyces clade. The new species, named Candida theae sp. nov., a close relative to members of the Candida parapsilosis species complex, was isolated independently from contaminated tea drinks in Taiwan and from ancient chica fermentation vessels found in burial tombs in Quito, Ecuador.


The Lodderomyces clade includes a number of common human pathogens (e.g. Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and Candida tropicalis), all with the ability to grow at temperatures of 37°C and above. Likewise, Candida theae sp. nov. can also grow at elevated temperatures. Thus the possibility that this newly discovered species may represent an emerging fungal pathogen, and a possible food-borne threat to immunocompromised individuals, cannot be discounted.


The type strain, NCYC 3795T, has been fully characterised and is now available from the NCYC web-site.



Full reference: Candida theae sp. nov., a new anamorphic beverage-associated member of the Lodderomyces clade. Chang et al. Int J Food Microbiol (2011), DOI 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2011.09.012