Candidozyma auris Outbreak and Its Effective Control in a General Hospital.

Abstract

Background/Objectives:Candidozyma auris (C. auris) is a multidrug-resistant pathogen recognized as a serious global public health threat. Herein, we report a C. auris outbreak that was successfully contained in a general hospital located in Athens, Greece. Methods: This study was conducted between December 2021 and December 2023. Upon identification of the first imported case of C. auris, the following infection control measures were applied in a stepwise approach: the promotion of hand hygiene, contact precautions and isolation, chlorhexidine gluconate bathing of patients, enhanced environmental cleaning, and active surveillance cultures of all high-risk patients upon admission. Active surveillance cultures were performed weekly in non-colonized ICU patients. Results: A total of 1564 screening samples from 890 patients were analyzed. Sixty-three patients were identified to be colonized and three to be infected with C. auris. After implementing screening and enhanced environmental cleaning, the quarterly incidence of hospital-acquired cases decreased from 0.37 to 0.04 cases per 1000 patient-days (slope of linear trend: -0.08; 95% CI: -0.16 to -0.0004; p = 0.05), despite the continuous inflow of already colonized patients. Conclusions: A bundle of infection control measures, including active surveillance cultures upon admission and enhanced environmental cleaning, can contain C. auris dissemination in acute healthcare settings.