Environmental and Social Determinants Related to Candidiasis

Abstract

Environmental, social, and economic factors are decisive for susceptibility to infectious diseases caused by opportunistic pathogens, such as Candida. Their incidence has increased significantly in recent years, mainly due to a greater number of immunocompromised people, the social and economic environment in which they develop and the current environmental crisis, climate change, which exacerbates health inequalities. Therefore, a literature review was conducted on the main social and environmental determinants of health and virulence factors as determinants of Candida spp. infection. Several studies provide valuable insights into the main predisposing determinants of Candida colonization and infection in relation to the health status of people and the virulence factors of the aetiological pathogen itself. Although there are some studies on the prevalence of Candida in different social classes, there are still few criteria to derive or claim an objective opinion on the social conditions under which this opportunistic pathogen occurs. Therefore, an overall picture that takes into account not only the intrinsic factors of the individual (human biology, health status, etc.) but also the social determinants of health, which may be related to differences in colonization and infection by different Candida species, is still lacking.