Candida auris was first described in 2009, and in a short time it has become a serious healthcare-associated pathogen. What sets it apart is a combination of traits that make it hard to control.
It is frequently multidrug-resistant, sometimes resistant to all three major antifungal classes. It colonizes skin and persists on surfaces and equipment for weeks, allowing it to spread between patients. Standard laboratory methods can even misidentify it.
Invasive C. auris infections carry high mortality, particularly in critically ill and immunocompromised patients. The CDC classifies it as an urgent threat.
Control relies on the fundamentals: accurate identification, screening of at-risk patients, contact precautions, and meticulous environmental cleaning with agents proven effective against it.