Candida auris surge in hospitals
- Philadelphia Department of Public Health on April 9 issued an advisory reporting a surge of Candida auris cases across city hospitals, long‑term acute care facilities and ventilator nursing centers through March 2026. - PDPH data show 103 C. auris cases reported in 2024, 221 in 2025, and 511 cumulative cases since March 2020; the advisory says both colonization and clinical infections were detected across multiple facility types. - PDPH and CDC guidance emphasize prompt reporting, admission screening in high‑risk units, strict infection control, and environmental cleaning to contain transmission. (hip.phila.gov)
Philadelphia Department of Public Health on April 9 alerted hospitals to a surge in drug‑resistant Candida auris across city hospitals and long‑term care facilities. (hip.phila.gov) PDPH surveillance recorded 103 C. auris cases in 2024 and 221 cases in 2025, with 511 total cases reported since the first local detection in March 2020 through March 2026. (hip.phila.gov) The department says reported events include both colonization and clinical infections identified in acute care hospitals, long‑term acute care hospitals (LTACHs), and ventilator‑capable skilled nursing facilities. (hip.phila.gov) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes clinical C. auris case counts in the U.S. have grown since the first reported case in 2016 and that some geographic areas continue to experience ongoing transmission. (cdc.gov) PDPH’s advisory instructs facilities to report suspected or confirmed C. auris cases within 24 hours, retain isolates for one month, and order antifungal susceptibility testing for all clinical isolates. (hip.phila.gov) Philadelphia health officials say expanded screening capacity — including admission screening in some high‑risk units established in 2024 — likely contributed to higher detection but is not the sole explanation for the rise. (hip.phila.gov) PDPH and CDC warn that common phenotypic lab systems can misidentify C. auris and recommend confirmatory testing or PCR for axilla/groin screening swabs when species identity is unclear. (hip.phila.gov) (cdc.gov) Pennsylvania’s healthcare toolkit and CDC infection‑control guidance advise enhanced environmental cleaning, with sporicidal agents where recommended, dedicated or single‑patient devices, and strict hand hygiene and PPE practices in affected units. (pa.gov) (cdc.gov) PDPH asks facilities to notify the department at 215‑685‑6748 within 24 hours of any suspected or confirmed C. auris case; the health department says it will coordinate further testing and containment steps with affected hospitals. (hip.phila.gov)
