Candida auris
What it is...
Candida auris (also called C. auris) is an emerging multidrug-resistant yeast. Candida auris is a fungus that causes serious infections. Candida auris is relatively rare and is almost never seen in otherwise healthy patients. C. auris can spread through person-to-person contact in congregate facilities, such as a nursing home or hospital. Many professionals are concerned about C. auris because it is often resistant to common medications. Antifungal medicines commonly used to treat Candida infections often don’t work for Candida auris. Some C. auris infections have been resistant to all three types of antifungal medicines.
What it does...
C. auris can cause bloodstream infections and even death, particularly in elderly, neonates and in the patients with serious medical problems. Patients who have a long stay in an intensive care unit, have serious medical conditions, severe burn injury, and who have previously received antibiotics or antifungal medications, appear to be at highest risk of infection.
What to expect...
C. auris is still rare in the United States. People who get invasive Candida infections are often already sick from other medical conditions, so it can be difficult to know if you have a C. auris infection. The most common symptoms of invasive Candida infection are fever and chills that don’t improve after antibiotic treatment for a suspected bacterial infection. Only a laboratory test can diagnose C. auris infection. Talk to your primary care provider if you believe you have a fungal or healthcare associated infection. Although the risk of C. auris infection in otherwise healthy people is low, patients and their family members should continue practicing good hand hygiene when returning home. If family members are caring for patients with C. auris, they should consider wearing disposable gloves when providing certain types of care like changing the dressing on wounds and helping the patient bathe.
What to do...
When visiting healthcare facilities, be sure to wash your hands with hand sanitizer or soap and water. If you encounter someone who has C. auris, be sure to clean your hands thoroughly with hand sanitizer or soap and water before and after touching a patient with C. auris or equipment in their room. Good hand hygiene and cleaning in healthcare facilities is important because C. auris can live on surfaces for several weeks.
Stay informed...
Only consult reliable sources for information regarding C. auris. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is actively collaborating with public health partners to learn more about Candida auris by advising healthcare personnel and infection control staff on ways to stop the spread of C. auris and continually updating this guidance as we learn more about the infection.
Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Candida auris.
