Candida auris:

small fungus - big headlines

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that Candida auris infections in America have tripled in recent years. In 2020, there were 757 cases. By 2022, there were 2,377 infections that required hospital treatment. What kind of fungus is it?

How dangerous is Candida auris?

For the general population, there is initially no cause for alarm. Healthy people are in no danger from Candida auris. For patients in hospitals, however, especially those in intensive care-it and with weakened  immune system do have cause for concern. Since the patient already has a weakened immune system. Therefore, it is particularly important for hospitals to ensure an effective disinfection.

If the fungus enters the body, it can begin to attack the central nervous system, organs, bones and eyes. It can also cause sepsis if it gets into the blood. About 30 percent of all infections in which the fungus has been detected in the body are fatal – according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The CDC therefore classifies Candida auris as a "serious global health threat." 

In Germany, the number of cases is currently still low. Nevertheless, it has increased sharply in the last two years. Transmission of the pathogen has occurred primarily in German hospitals. However, so far it has been possible to detect and stop an outbreak at an early stage. The fungus is also increasingly appearing in Spain, Italy, Greece, as well as in South America and Asia.

How do I protect myself?

Hygiene is the magic word to reduce and prevent infection. This applies not only to Candida auris, but to all diseases that spread via droplet or smear infections.
Practice measures to promote good hygiene, such as:

• hand washing, 
• covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and
• avoiding close contact with people who are ill.

All of these practices should become part of our daily routine.

Rely+On^® Virkon^®: effective protection

Our Rely+On^® Virkon^® is a broad spectrum disinfectant which has proven  to be effective against the yeast Candida auris. Thus Rely+On^® Virkon^® can be used as disinfectant in healthcare and institutional facilities where an infection with the drug resistant yeast is either demonstrated, suspected, or used as a preventative measure from the start.

Rely+On^® Virkon^® is effective at short contact times (0.75% in 5 minutes according to EN 1650) and enables hard surface disinfection and decontamination. It is also suitable for laboratory related applications.