Illustration of a fungal infection (thrush) of the vagina and cervix, showing the white patches known as thrush plaques. Fungal infections of the vagina are usually caused by the yeast-like fungus Candida albicans, but Torulopsis glabrata and other Candida species may also be responsible. The condition may be sexually transmitted, but is usually due to an overgrowth of the body's natural, and normally harmless, fungal population. These normal inhabitants of the vagina may become pathogenic when the body's resistance is weakened through malnutrition or general debility, diabetes or antibiotic treatment.