Candida kefyr as an emerging cause of invasive fungal infection in transplant patients: Case report and literature review

Background

Kluyveromyces marxianus, formerly known as Candida kefyr, is an emerging opportunistic yeast increasingly reported in immunocompromised hosts. This review aims to summarize the clinical presentations, diagnostic approaches, treatment strategies, and outcomes of C. kefyr infections among transplantation recipients through an analysis of published case reports. A comprehensive literature search was performed using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for case reports involving transplantation patients infected with C. kefyr. The review included only individual case reports describing invasive fungal infections in solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. A total of seven case reports were identified. Clinical presentations included fungemia, keratitis and catheter-related bloodstream infections. Median age was 61.0. Most of the case had neutropenia and consumption of dairy products. Also, the ratio of localized organ involvement is higher. C. kefyr should be considered a potential opportunistic pathogen in transplant recipients, particularly in older or neutropenic patients with regular dairy consumption. Early diagnosis and appropriate antifungal therapy are essential for favorable outcomes.