Candida auris

Candida auris (Candidozyma auris) is a species of fungus that grows as a yeast. It is one of the few species of the genus Candida (Candidozyma) which cause candidiasis in humans. Often, candidiasis is acquired in hospitals by patients with weakened immune systems. A colonizer of the skin in people most commonly in long term care medical facilities and other healthcare settings, C. auris may also persist on inanimate surfaces and medical devices for long periods of time. The environmental reservoirs of C. auris are not completely known. C. auris can cause invasive candidiasis (fungemia) in which the bloodstream, central nervous system, and internal organs are infected.

It has attracted widespread attention because of its multiple drug resistance. In cases where the fungus spreads to the bloodstream or distal organs, the mortality rate is 30-60%. Treatment is also complicated because it is easily misidentified as other Candida species.

Candida auris was first described in 2009 after it was isolated from the ear canal of a 70-year-old Japanese woman in Tokyo, Japan. In 2011, South Korea had its first cases of disease-causing C. auris. Reportedly, this spread across Asia and Europe, and first appeared in the U.S. in 2013.

Candida auris thrives in warmer environments with high salt (unlike other candida species) and is thought to have emerged as a human pathogen due to global warming. It is grouped into five different clades, each with distinct genetic and clinical (such as virulence and anti-fungal resistance) properties, as well as different geographic distributions.

DNA analysis of four distinct but drug-resistant strains of C. auris indicate an evolutionary divergence taking place at least 4,000 years ago, with a common leap among the four varieties into drug-resistance possibly linked to widespread azole-type antifungal use in agriculture. However, explanations for its emergence remain speculative.

An emerging infection, with cases rising globally, in 2022 the World Health Organization (WHO) classified C. auris as one of its 19 fungal "priority pathogens" (fungal pathogens that pose a threat to global health) with Candida auris being designated "critical priority" by the WHO.