{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T16:31:07Z","timestamp":1790699467669,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,25]],"date-time":"2025-07-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1753401600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Candida spp. are ubiquitous yeasts that are part of most mammals\u2019 microbiota and can become opportunistic pathogens under predisposing conditions. Interestingly, recent studies in human medicine report an increased abundance of Candida spp. in association with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Gastrointestinal candidiasis has been primarily reported in neonatal foals, but not in adult horses. The aim of this study is to describe the morphological, histopathological, and microbiological features of gastric lesions associated with Candida infiltration in five horses referred to two tertiary hospitals for different reasons. Clinical features, findings from gastroscopy, gastric, and duodenal biopsies, as well as fungal and bacterial cultures obtained from gastric lesions will be reported. Macroscopically, gastric lesions showed a characteristic yellow\/white pseudo-membranous appearance, similar to lesions reported in foals. The presence of Candida spp. was confirmed by positive culture and\/or histopathological evidence of fungal infiltration on the gastric epithelium. Three out of five horses showed histopathological changes in duodenal biopsies, potentially suggesting IBD. These results demonstrate that gastric candidiasis can occur in adult horses. Further research is needed to elucidate the pathogenesis, predisposing factors, and clinical relevance of Candida spp. infections in the equine stomach, as well as their potential impact on gastrointestinal health and overall performance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms13081746","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,25]],"date-time":"2025-07-25T14:40:02Z","timestamp":1753454402000},"page":"1746","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Gastric Candidiasis in Five Horses: A Case Series"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-0768-3071","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Patricia","family":"Neira-Egea","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Cardenal Herrera-CEU University, CEU Universities, 46115 Alfara del Patriarca, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Clara","family":"Alamar Malvoisin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Equine Clinical Department & Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Li\u00e8ge, B\u00e2t. B41, 4000 Li\u00e8ge, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-4183-4226","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mar\u00eda","family":"de la Cuesta-Torrado","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Cardenal Herrera-CEU University, CEU Universities, 46115 Alfara del Patriarca, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Claudia","family":"Bautista-Erler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Cardenal Herrera-CEU University, CEU Universities, 46115 Alfara del Patriarca, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2273-5377","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Valentina","family":"Vitale","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Cardenal Herrera-CEU University, CEU Universities, 46115 Alfara del Patriarca, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sandra","family":"Jolly","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratoire D\u2019anatomopathologie (Histopathologie et Cytologie), Business Village Ecolys, Avenue d\u2019Ecolys 2, Boite 42, Suite 210, 5020 Suarl\u00e9e, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4367-3497","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carla","family":"Cesarini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Equine Clinical Department & Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Li\u00e8ge, B\u00e2t. B41, 4000 Li\u00e8ge, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Sellon, D.C., and Long, M.T. (2014). Equine Infectious Diseases, Saunders\/Elsevier. [2nd ed.]."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"731","DOI":"10.3109\/13693786.2013.777858","article-title":"Species of Candida as a component of the nasal microbiota of healthy horses","volume":"51","author":"Cordeiro","year":"2013","journal-title":"Med. Mycol."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"321","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhin.2004.04.010","article-title":"Risk factors associated with candidaemia in the neonatal intensive care unit: A case\u2013control study","volume":"57","author":"Linder","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Hosp. 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