
Elisabeth, let's set the record straight for the nth time, I have not read 
"The Yeast Connection".  So anything that I say is not due to brainwashing 
by this "hated" book.  It's okay I guess to hate the book, by why hate me?
Elisabeth, I'm going to quote from Zinsser's Microbiology, 20th Edition.
A book that you should be familiar with and not "hate". "Candida species 
colonize the mucosal surfaces of all humans during birth or shortly 
thereafter.  The risk of endogenous infection is clearly ever present.  
Indeed, candidiasis occurs worldwide and is the most common systemic 
mycosis."  Neutrophils play the main role in preventing a systemic 
infection(candidiasis) so you would have to have a low neutrophil count or 
"sick" neutrophils to see a systemic infection.  Poor diet and persistent 
parasitic infestation set many third world residents up for candidiasis.
Your assessment of candidiasis in the U.S. is correct and I do not dispute 
it.

What I posted was a discussion of candida blooms, without systemic 
infection.  These blooms would be responsible for local sites of irritation
(GI tract, mouth, vagina and sinus cavity).  Knocking down the bacterial 
competition for candida was proposed as a possible trigger for candida 
blooms.  Let me quote from Zinsser's again: "However, some factors, such as 
the use of a broad-spectrum antibacterial antibiotic, may predispose to 
both mucosal and systemic infections".  I was addressing mucosal infections
(I like the term blooms better).  The nutrition course that I teach covers 
this effect of antibiotic treatment as well as the "cure".  I guess that 
your nutrition course does not, too bad.  



My, my Elisabeth, do I detect a little of Steve Dyer in you?  If you 
noticed my faculty rank, I'm a biochemist, not a microbiologist.
Candida is classifed as a fungus(according to Zinsser's).  But, as you point 
out, it displays dimorphism.  It is capable of producing yeast cells, 
pseudohyphae and true hyphae.  Elisabeth, you are probably a microbiologist 
and that makes a lot of sense to you.  To a biochemist, it's a lot of 
Greek.  So I called it a yeast-like fungus, go ahead and crucify me.

You know Elisabeth, I still haven't been able to figure out why such a small 
little organism like Candida can bring out so much hostility in people in 
Sci. Med.  And I must admitt that I got sucked into the mud slinging too.
I keep hoping that if people will just take the time to think about what 
I've said, that it will make sense.  I'm not asking anyone here to buy into 
"The Yeast Connection" book because I don't know what's in that book, plain 
and simple. And to be honest with you, I'm beginning to wish that it was never 
written.