Candida auris is a type of yeast infection that can enter the bloodstream and spread rapidly through the body, causing serious invasive infections. Healthcare facilities in several countries have reported a rapid increase in this type of infection. C. auris has been documented to cause infections in patients of all ages, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), individuals with central venous catheters are among those at greater risk than the generation population for becoming infected with C.auris.

Yeast infections do not often respond well to commonly use antifungal drugs making C. auris very difficult to treat. According to the CDC, “C. auris can spread in healthcare settings through contact with contaminated environmental services or equipment, or from person to person. More work is needed to further understand how it spreads.” Good infection control practices and environmental cleaning may help prevent transmission.

• • CDC standard hand hygiene practice: https://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/providers/index.html
• • Global Emergence of Invasive Infections Caused by the Multidrug-Resistant Yeast Candida auris: https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/candidiasis/candida-auris-alert.html
• • Additional resources for Multi-drug resistant organisms: https://www.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/docs/Health-Response-Contain-MDRO.pdf