Candida auris, an Emerging Fungal Pathogen

Candida auris is an emerging fungal pathogen that causes serious infections, especially for those within healthcare facilities with serious medical problems. Rapid and accurate identification of Candida auris is a priority for the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH), Healthcare-Associated Infections & Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI-AR) Program. Candida auris is a public health threat for three main reasons:

1. It is often multidrug-resistant.
2. It can be misidentified in laboratories without specific technology, leading to missed opportunities for containment.
3. It has caused outbreaks in healthcare settings.

The CTDPH, HAI-AR Program collaborates closely with the Katherine A. Kelley State Public Health Laboratory, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Network to provide Connecticut healthcare facilities with rapid and accurate identification of Candida auris, and appropriate infection control.

Candida auris testing at the Katherine A. Kelley State Public Health Laboratory

• Species-level Candida identification by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectroscopy
• C. auris screening by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to identify high-risk patients who might be colonized with C. auris
• Coming Soon: Antifungal susceptibility testing for Candida species

Resources for healthcare facilities

• CDC's Candida auris webpage
• Connecticut Epidemiologist newsletter article, July 2017
• Candida auris in Healthcare Facilities, New York, USA, 2013-2017

Questions about Candida auris or Candida auris testing in Connecticut can be directed to the HAI-AR Program: 860-509-7995.