blurred figures wearing medical uniforms in hospital surgery corridor

Candida auris:

small fungus - big headlines

Editor: Kerstin Stenger

May 24, 2023

Government health officials are warning about the spread of a fungal infection called Candida auris. The fungus can lead to deadly infections. How dangerous is Candida auris?

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?

Fact sheet: Candida auris

Candida auris belongs to the species of fungi. It was first detected in Japan in 2009 in the external auditory canal of a 70-year-old female patient. This is where the name comes from: Auris is Latin and means ear. The fungus is transmitted primarily in hospitals or from person to person via smear infection.

The fungus is dangerous because it is resistant to antifungal drugs and also to many disinfectants. According to the CDC, about 90 percent of the yeast fungus is resistant to at least one antifungal drug. Nearly one-third are even resistant to two or more antifungal drugs.

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.

Anneliese Bischof, MPP, 2019 — Anneliese Bischof, Head of Business Line CARE, LANXESS

"Good hygiene must always be part of our daily lives, but it is critical to choose a disinfectant that has been proven to prevent the most important disease"

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.

Application of the disinfectant Rely+On Virkon

“Therefore, utilizing Rely+On^® Virkon^® as a surface disinfectant for the purposes of infection control can help to disinfect areas where a high risk of Candida auris transmission exists, and consequently reduce the risk of infection to patients, and both medical and laboratory staff.”

Further information can be found at www.relyondisinfection.com