CDC video on Candida auris-2019
August 6th, 2019
Candida auris (C. auris) is an emerging fungus that presents a serious global health threat. CDC is concerned about C. auris for 3 main reasons:
- It is often multidrug-resistant, meaning multiple antifungal drugs are less or not at all effective in treating C. auris.
- It is difficult to identify with standard laboratory methods, and it can be misidentified in labs without specific technology. Misidentification may lead to inappropriate management.
- It has caused outbreaks in healthcare settings. It is important to quickly identify C. auris in a hospitalized patient so that healthcare facilities can take special precautions to stop its spread.
Most C. auris cases in the United States have been detected in the New York City area, New Jersey, and the Chicago area. Clusters of cases have also recently been described in Florida, Texas, and California. C. auris cases in the United States are originally a result of inadvertent introduction into the United States from a patient who had received healthcare in a country where C. auris has been reported. Most cases now are a result of local spread after such an introduction.