Clinical Information

Candida auris can cause serious, and sometimes fatal, infections, is often resistant to one or more classes of antifungal drugs, and inappropriate treatment may occur as it can be misidentified in the laboratory. In addition, C auris appears to be more resistant to disinfection than other yeasts, leading to prolonged survival in the environment, increasing the possibility of transmission in hospitals and nursing homes.

In December 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that healthcare facilities implement routine surveillance screening of patients who have had an overnight stay in a healthcare facility outside of the US over the past year, particularly if the hospitalization was in a country with confirmed cases of C auris. The CDC also recommended considering screening of patients who have been hospitalized outside of the US and have a documented infection or colonization with a carbapenemase-producing gram-negative bacteria. These patients have frequently been found to have C auris colonization as well. A second group of people for whom screening is recommended includes healthcare workers who have been in close contact with patients who have previously unrecognized C auris infection or colonization.

The C auris polymerase chain reaction assay detects and identifies C auris combination groin/axilla surveillance swabs.