Candida spp. are one of the most common causes of fungal infections worldwide. The taxonomy of Candida is controversial and has undergone recent changes due to novel genetically related species. Therefore, some complexes of cryptic species have been proposed. In clinical settings, the correct identification of Candida species is relevant since some species are associated with high resistance to antifungal drugs and increased virulence. This study aimed to identify the species of four Candida complexes (C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, and C. haemulonii) by molecular methods. This is the first report of six cryptic Candida species in Honduras: C. dubliniensis, C. africana, C. duobushaemulonii, C. orthopsilosis, and C. metapsilosis, and it is also the first report of the allele hwp1-2 of C. albicans sensu stricto. It was not possible to demonstrate the existence of C. auris among the isolates of the C. haemulonii complex. We also propose a simple method based on PCR-RFLP for the discrimination of the multi-resistant pathogen C. auris within the C. haemulonii complex.

Candida species are one of the most important causes of human infections, especially in hospitals and among immunocompromised patients. The correct and rapid etiological identification of yeast infections is important to provide adequate therapy, reduce mortality, and control outbreaks. In this study, Candida species were identified in patients with suspected fungal infection, and phenotypic and genotypic identification methods were compared. A total of 167 axenic fungal cultures and 46 clinical samples were analyzed by HardyCHROM^®, MicroScan^®(Omron Microscan Systems Inc, Renton, WA, USA), and PCR-RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms). The species of the C. albicans complex were the most frequent, followed by C. tropicalis and C. glabrata. Less common but clinically relevant species of Candida were also isolated. The comparison between the three methods was concordant, especially for the most common Candida species. Fungal DNA amplification was successful in all clinical samples.

Invasive fungal infections (IFIs), primarily caused by Candida species, represent a significant global public health concern due to their high mortality rates and growing antifungal resistance. In Honduras, data on their epidemiology remains scarce. This study aimed to characterize Candida species associated with candidemia and assess key virulence factors. A total of 80 clinical isolates were collected from four hospitals in Honduras’s major cities, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. Identification was performed using both phenotypic and molecular methods. Hemolytic activity, phospholipase and protease production, and biofilm formation were evaluated. C. albicans and C. tropicalis were the most prevalent species (30% each), followed by C. parapsilosis (27.5%). Phenotypic methods misidentified 13.8% of the isolates. Most strains (96.3%) exhibited strong hemolytic activity. C. albicans showed the highest phospholipase activity, while C. tropicalis was the most robust film producer. These findings highlight an evolving epidemiological landscape characterized by an increasing prevalence of non-albicans Candida species, often less susceptible to antifungal agents, and diverse virulence profiles such as strong biofilm formation. This underscores the clinical need for accurate species-level identification through molecular diagnostics and ongoing surveillance to guide targeted antifungal therapy and enable early, locally adapted interventions.