Abstract
The multidrug-resistant yeast Candida auris is associated with invasive infections in critically ill patients and has been isolated in different countries worldwide. Ease of spread, prolonged persistence in the environment and antifungal drug resistance pose a significant concern for the prevention of transmission and management of patients with C. auris infections. Early and correct identification of patients colonized with C. auris is critical in containing its spread. However, this may be complicated by C. auris strains being misidentified as other phylogenetically related pathogens. In this review, we offer a brief overview highlighting some of the critical aspects of sample collection, laboratory culture-dependent and independent identification and the susceptibility profile of C. auris.
Highlights
Candida auris, the yeast pathogen firstly isolated from a Japanese patient’s external ear canal in2009, has been involved in invasive healthcare-associated outbreaks and sporadic cases reported in various countries worldwide [1,2,3,4,5,6]
The purpose of this review is to offer a simplified yet updated report on the available C. auris screening, identification and antifungal susceptibility determination methods while focusing on screening and control measures
Vella and colleagues have developed a rapid Antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) assay based on MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS) analyzing changes in the MS profile spectra induced by antifungals after 3–6 h of incubation, firstly in caspofungin-resistant C. albicans and in anidulafungin-resistant C. glabrata with known FKS2 mutations, where they obtained less satisfactory results [76,77]
Summary
The yeast pathogen firstly isolated from a Japanese patient’s external ear canal in2009, has been involved in invasive healthcare-associated outbreaks and sporadic cases reported in various countries worldwide [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Three hundred forty-nine cases of C. auris were reported solely in the European Union between January 2018 and May 2019: most of these (73.6%) were colonizations and, among the infections, 24.1% were bloodstream infections [7]. This new microorganism has a severe impact on public health, because it is often multidrug-resistant, rapidly spreads among patients and persistently colonizes the skin and nosocomial surfaces, and because it is often difficult to be correctly identified [8]. Cases of C. auris may still be misidentified or unidentified and spread in healthcare settings
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