ABSTRACT
This chapter provides state-of-the-art overviews on foodborne diseases caused by Saccharomyces cerevisiae in relation to their etiology, biology, epidemiology, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an ubiquitous, ascomycete yeast that has been used in the production of food and beverage since ancient times; therefore, it is frequently referred to as "baker's yeast" or "brewer's yeast." The baking and brewing yeast S. cerevisiae belongs to the fungal phylum Ascomycota, subkingdom Dikarya, and kingdom Fungi. S. cerevisiae is primarily unicellular, although capable of polarized growth, by which the cell can grow toward an environmental cue source. Despite inhabiting many environmental niches, the budding yeast S. cerevisiae is most commonly known for its role in the fermentative production of bread, beer, or wine, and as the main component in many dietary supplements. Similar to Candida and other medically important yeasts, diagnosis of invasive infection caused by S. cerevisiae is based on microbiological examinations of blood and other sterile sites.
