Microbiological study of the therapeutic efficacy of essential oil versus FCZ against vaginal candidiasis in mice. Outcome of vaginal infection by C. albicans 09-1555 in immunosuppressed BALB/c mice inoculated intravaginally with essential oil and FCZ. CK: negative control group (no Candida was found in the vaginal lumina). Group 1: infected, untreated but not immunosuppressed animals. Group 2: positive control group, immunosuppressed, inoculated intravaginally with C. albicans 09-1555, received excipient. Group T1: treated groups: immunosuppressed, infected animals that received FCZ (20 μL at 100 μg/mL). Groups T2, T3, T4: treated groups: immunosuppressed, infected animals that received essential oils (20 μL at 2, 1, and 0.0625% v/v). The value log cfu was showed by the mean ± S.E.M. (n = 6). **: compared with Group 2 (P < .01); *: compared with Group 2 (P < .05).