Health Advisory: Pan-Resistant Candida auris Identified in Texas
March 16, 2021
In January 2021, Candida auris became a Texas notifiable condition with required isolate submission to the DSHS Laboratory in Austin. Since it became reportable, seven cases of C. auris have been reported in Texas residents. Two of these cases were identified as resistant to all three classes of antifungal drug. These are the first cases of pan-resistant C. auris identified in Texas. This Health Advisory is intended to provide recommendations regarding laboratory identification methods, treatment options and infection control recommendations to mitigate C. auris transmission.
About Candida auris
Candida auris is a fungus that may cause serious illness for those it infects. C. auris can cause invasive infections, including bloodstream infections, which may result in death, particularly in hospital and long-term care patients. C. auris is a public health threat because it is often multidrug-resistant, is difficult to identify, and can persist on surfaces in healthcare environments, resulting in the spread of C. auris among patients in healthcare facilities. Patients exposed to C. auris may remain colonized for a long time, putting them at risk for a future C. auris infection and further spreading the fungus.
