Identified as a human pathogen in the late 1970s, Candida lusitaniae is a yeast with light colored colonies that have a wrinkled, glistening appearance. Also known as Clavispora lusitaniae, it has been isolated from milk, cornmeal, pears, citrus fruits, birds, humans and other mammals.

Candida lusitaniae has been linked to many cases of disseminated candidiasis, which include pyelonephritis and septicemia. Most of those who have been infected by this species were stem cell transplant recipients or hematologic malignancy patients. Candida lusitaniae is also said to settle in the gastrointestinal, respiratory and urinary tracts of humans. Unfortunately, many strains of this yeast are resistant to anti-fungal drug amphotericin B. Though amphotericin B resistance is indeed a problem, there were times when the drug has been able to successfully cure fungemia caused by this yeast in a number of immunocompromised individuals. At present, this yeast has not been implicated for toxic diseases.