By titrating the candidal dose to the CARD9 genotype, we established a model in which mutant mice demonstrate chronicity of infection, overt neurological symptoms with CNS predilection, and histopathological multinucleated giant cells/granulomata surrounding fungal lesions; these features were elicited at an LD50 dose that was at least 2 log10–fold lower than the standard, high-dose method. Here, CARD9 is linked to infection.