Candida auris

Excerpt

Candida auris (C auris), a multidrug-resistant yeast, has emerged as a significant global concern among fungal pathogens. This organism readily colonizes the skin and demonstrates a strong association with nosocomial infections in healthcare environments. Its capacity to trigger outbreaks linked to high mortality rates led the World Health Organization (WHO) to classify it within the "critical priority group" of the fungal priority pathogen list.[WHO.Fungal Priority Pathogens List.2022] First identified as a novel Candida species in 2009, C auris has since been reported in 61 countries across 6 continents as of 2023.

Although C auris frequently colonizes the skin, the organism can also cause invasive infections associated with mortality rates ranging from 30% to 60%. This yeast qualifies as a multidrug-resistant species, showing variable resistance patterns to many antifungal agents typically used for other Candida infections. The rising prevalence of both infection and colonization in recent years reflects several contributing factors, including the ability of C auris to persist on skin and abiotic surfaces for extended periods, efficient transmission within healthcare facilities, frequent diagnostic challenges with misidentification, and high resistance rates across multiple antifungal classes.

Laboratory yeast identification methods often misclassify C auris as other yeast species, complicating both detection and control efforts. Transmission most commonly occurs in nosocomial settings, even where infection prevention and control measures are actively enforced. In the United States, C auris is designated as a nationally notifiable pathogen, enabling systematic public health monitoring and targeted containment of its spread.