Candida auris: Guidelines on infection prevention and control

Candida auris (C. auris) is an antimicrobial-resistant fungal organism that can persist in the environment, has a high mortality rate and is resistant to quaternary ammonium disinfectants.

Transmission

• Contact transmission requiring contact precautions in a private room with a private washroom or dedicated commode.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Healthcare workers should wear gloves and a long sleeved gown at all times while in the patient care area.
• Visitors should wear the same PPE as healthcare workers when in patient care area.

Disinfection

• Health Canada approved hospital disinfectant with claims of efficacy against C. auris.
• In-vitro data suggests that both chlorine and hydrogen peroxide based disinfectants are also effective against C. auris.

Screening

• Admission screening (a single bilateral swab of axilla and groin) should be performed for any patient being admitted to a healthcare facility, if:
  • They have been admitted to a hospital or long term care home outside of Canada (including in the United States) within the prior 12 months, or
  • They have been transferred from a Canadian healthcare facility with a known ongoing C. auris outbreak.

Outbreak management

• Any nosocomial transmission of C. auris among patients should be considered an outbreak.
• Decolonization of patients positive for C. auris is not recommended.
• Increased cleaning and disinfection should be implemented.
• Laboratory confirmation of C. auris from a clinical or screening specimen is needed to identify cases.
• Point prevalence surveys should be performed at least weekly and based on epidemiology and degree of transmission.