Candida auris: A New Emerging Fungal Monster

Abstract

: The incidence of invasive fungal infections (IFI) caused by unusual pathogens is on the rise, partly driven by the increased population of immunocompromised patients. The emerging multidrug-resistant yeast pathogen Candida auris (auris means ear in Latin) has been a source of concern as an agent of healthcare-associated infections. Some strains of Candida auris isolates are multi-resistant to the main classes of conventional antifungal drugs, and their identification using standard laboratory protocols has been proved difficult. Many of these strains have been misidentified to be other yeasts such as Rhodotorula glutinis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Candida haemulonii. In fact, specialized laboratory procedures are required for their proper identification such as molecular techniques based on sequencing the D1-D2 region of the 28 s rDNA or matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF). Misidentification might result in inappropriate treatment. Furthermore, C. auris has the tendency to cause outbreaks in healthcare settings as has already been reported from several countries worldwide. Finally, it is important to emphasize that C. auris is emerging as an important nosocomial pathogen in many parts of the world, which highlights the need for developing rapid and reproducible methods for its identification and typing.