Candida auris, commonly called C. auris, is a drug-resistant fungus that has become a growing and causing concerns for hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Unlike many infections that are relatively easy to get rid of from the environment, C. auris can remain on skin or surface for extended period of time, allowing it to move between patients and their surroundings.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that the fungus spreads easily in healthcare settings and are difficult to treat because it is frequently resistant to at least one class of antifungal medicines.
Here are five important ways it can spread.
1. Direct contact with an infected or colonised patient
A person with C. auris on their skin can show no symptoms. This is known as Colonization.
Contact with such person’s skin can allow the fungus to migrate onto another person’s hands or clothing and potentially reach other patients.
2. Contact with contaminated surfaces
C. auris survives on surfaces in healthcare environments, including frequently touched areas such as bed rails and door handles.
If surfaces are not properly cleaned and disinfected, they can become part of the chain of transmission.
3. Contaminated medical equipment
Equipment used around patients can also become contaminated. The CDC identifies items such as vital-sign machines and other medical devices as potential sources of spread.
Moving equipment between patients without cleaning can therefore create opportunities for transmission.
4. Healthcare workers and caregivers
The fungus can be transferred when healthcare workers and caregivers touch a colonised or infected patient and subsequently touch another patient or their surroundings without proper hand hygiene.
5. Contaminated patient environments
Because C. auris can stay on objects and surfaces for long, an affected patient’s room can become another route through which the organism spreads.
The CDC recommends appropriate cleaning and disinfection of patient rooms and equipment, alongside measures such as gloves, gowns and other safety equipments when caring for affected patients.
The biggest concern is that C. auris can also cause serious infections, especially in people who are already seriously ill or have other medical risk factors. Early identification and infection-control practices can therefore play an important role in limiting its spread in healthcare facilities.
