Candida auris (C. auris) is a type of yeast that can cause severe illness and spread easily among very sick patients in healthcare facilities. C. auris can cause a range of infections from superficial (skin) infections to more severe, life-threatening infections, such as bloodstream infections.

C. auris is often resistant to antifungal medications, meaning the fungus develops the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill it. That means the germs are not killed and continue to grow. Resistant infections can be difficult, and sometimes impossible, to treat.

Transmission

Patients who are infected and patients who are colonized with C. auris often spread it onto surfaces and objects in healthcare settings like bedrails, doorknobs, and blood pressure cuffs. C. auris can survive on surfaces and objects for a long time and spread to other patients who can then become sick.

C. auris usually remains on a patient’s skin or body sites for a long time, whether or not they ever have symptoms, and they continue to be capable of spreading C. Auris during this entire time.

Symptoms

C. auris can cause infection in different parts of the body like the blood, wounds, and ears. Symptoms of a C. auris infection depend on the location and severity of infection. Symptoms may be similar to symptoms of infections caused by bacteria like fever or chills. There is not a common set of symptoms specific for C. auris infections.

Risk Factors

C. auris mostly affects patients with severe underlying medical conditions and those requiring complex medical care and invasive medical devices. Invasive medical devices are often necessary but create pathways for C. auris to get into the body. Examples include:

  • Breathing tubes
  • Feeding tubes
  • Catheters in a vein
  • Urinary catheters
Testing

Screening patients for C. auris is an important way to prevent or stop outbreaks in healthcare facilities and keep patients safe. Screening identifies patients with C. auris so that special precautions can be taken to prevent spread.

Patients who are colonized with C. auris may not know it because they do not have any symptoms.

Screening for C. auris is painless and there are no risks to the patient. Usually, a healthcare provider screens for C. auris by collecting skin swabs from the armpits and groins. The swabs are sent to a laboratory for testing.

Treatment

Most strains (types) of C. auris are resistant to at least one type of antifungal medicine. Fortunately, most infections can be treated with a class of antifungal medications called echinocandins.

However, some C. auris strains are resistant to all three main classes of antifungal medicines, including echinocandins. There is limited data on treatment of these infections. Healthcare providers may combine multiple antifungal medicines or try a newer pre-approved antifungal to treat multidrug-resistant infections.

Information for Health Care Workers

Infection Control and Screening Guidance

Toolkit: Florida Department of Health’s Health Care Associated Infection Prevention Program – Comprehensive guide for health care facilities, public health professionals, patients, residents, and families in responding to a single case, cluster, or outbreak of Candida auris (C. auris).

Candida auris Workgroup

Patient and Family Guidance

Discharge/Transfer Packet – Guide when transferring and accepting new patients with confirmed/suspected C. auris infection or colonization.

Patient and Family Guidance – Education information for patients.

General Health Care-Associated Infection Resources

According to a recent federal survey, one in 25 hospital patients have a health care-associated infection (HAI).

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has shown that the implementation of recommendations from the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee can reduce HAI by 70% overall and virtually eliminate some specific types of infections.

Strategic Plan: Prevent HAI and Antimicrobial Resistance

Developed by the Florida Department of Health’s Health Care-Associated Infection Prevention Program.

View Strategic Plan
Multi-Drug Resistance Organisms (MDRO)

Patients can also take action to help protect themselves from these types of infections:

  • Speak up when receiving care and ask health care workers to wash their hands before touching you.
  • If you are having surgery ask your doctor what you can do before surgery to help prevent infection or if you have a catheter, ask each day if it is still needed.  
  • Only take antibiotics when you need them, finish the course of treatment (do not stop taking your medicine when you begin to feel better), and remember that antibiotics typically are not effective against the common cold.
Isolation and Hygiene Signage
Prevention Resources
Florida Health Care-Associated Infection Program Information

Broad implementation of the guidelines saves lives, reduces suffering, and decreases health care costs. Through partnerships and the commitment of stakeholders, the Florida Department of Health’s Health Care-Associated Infection Prevention Program supports health care facilities implementing best practices for preventing the spread of HAIs.

Health care facilities are asked to conduct surveillance or track HAI infections, ensure health care workers perform hand hygiene before and after patient contact and when they come in contact with body fluids, use personal protective equipment such as gowns and gloves, minimize use of devices (e.g. catheters), and ensure the patient care environment has been cleaned including the proper cleaning of shared medical equipment, such as blood pressure cuffs and glucometers.

In addition, antibiotics need to be used wisely. Antibiotics do help fight infection, however overuse of antibiotics leads to the development and spread of multi-drug resistant organisms. Health care providers are asked to order cultures and review the results to ensure the most narrow spectrum antibiotic is used to treat infections.

Infection Control Training

The Health Care-Associated Infections Prevention Program of the Florida Department of Health has five separate web-based training modules on infection control, specifically created for facility nursing staff members in acute care hospitals, ambulatory care, and nursing homes. These trainings are available on-demand and at no charge. Each will satisfy one hour of continuing education units.

The training modules are available on the TRAIN Florida. If you do not have an account, you can create an account. You will be directed to a page that will ask for your professional license. You will need to choose your license and enter your license number to receive continuing education credit.

You can find the courses by searching for “FDOH Infection Control” and filtering the affiliate with “Florida.”  You may select the class you want to take separately, or in a series by selecting the infection control series. With the series, you will take a brief Introduction course that will explain the course directions, the class “An Overview of Infection Control,” and select one course from the remaining classes dependent on your position and type of facility.

To register for the module

  • Select the Registration tab, and then select Launch. Once completed, you will mark the course as completed. You will see a message stating Course was marked as “Completed.”
  • You will need to take a 10-question quiz and post review.
  • You need to score 70% on the quiz to pass the course, and you will need to post a review to receive credit for the class.

Blended Learning Series (Compilation)

Introduction and Overview (both classes are required)

Elective Modules (only one course from this section is required)

Each of these courses can be taken separately