Candida auris
The characteristics, diagnosis and management of Candida auris (C. auris).
Candida auris is a yeast species first isolated from the external ear canal of a patient in Japan in 2009. Since then C. auris has been associated with a wide range of clinical infections, including bloodstream, wound and ear infections, in many countries globally. It has caused prolonged outbreaks on five continents including India, Pakistan, Venezuela, Colombia, Spain. Israel, South Africa and USA.
Laboratory testing
Commonly C. auris is resistant to the first-line antifungal drug fluconazole and this species can rapidly evolve to develop resistance, so specific antifungal susceptibility testing is indicated.
In UK laboratories, Candida species isolated from superficial sites are not routinely identified to species level or tested for antifungal susceptibility. Even if species identification is undertaken, isolates can be misidentified by some commercial kits.
Therefore any presumptive isolates of C. auris should be subjected to further testing at Public Health England’s network of public health laboratories or the national PHE Mycology Reference Laboratory.
Guidance for laboratories, healthcare providers and healthcare professionals
Guidance for community care settings
Leaflet for patients and visitors
Epidemiology
Updates to this page
Last updated 11 August 2017 + show all updates
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Added community care guidance, and a patient and visitor leaflet.
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Added epidemiology section.
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First published.