Candida auris is an emerging fungus that presents a serious global health threat.

Healthcare facilities in several countries have reported that a type of yeast called Candida auris has been causing severe illness in hospitalized patients. In some patients, this yeast can enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, causing serious invasive infections. This yeast often does not respond to commonly used antifungal drugs, making infections difficult to treat. Patients who have been hospitalized in a healthcare facility a long time, have a central venous catheter, or other lines or tubes entering their body, or have previously received antibiotics or antifungal medications, appear to be at highest risk of infection with this yeast.

In healthcare facilities, including nursing homes and outpatient settings, the key measures in controlling the spread of C auris are to:

• Place patients in single rooms and use standard and contact precautions.
• Emphasize adherence to hand hygiene, including use of alcohol-based hand rubs.
• Clean the patient care environment with recommended disinfectants.
• Screen patients to identify C auris colonization, and report suspected cases to local public health authorities and to CDC immediately for guidance. C auris can be misidentified using traditional methods. CDC and the Antibiotic Resistance Regional Laboratories can assist with identification and characterization.

Download the CDC Fact Sheet HERE.

To read more about C auris, visit the CDC website at:
https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/candida-auris/index.html