Methods for identification of Candida auris, the yeast of global public health concern: A review

Abstract

Candida auris has recently emerged as a fungus able to cause severe infections, especially bloodstream infections with high mortality rates. This multi-drug-resistant yeast has the capacity of persistence on environmental surfaces, and has been reported to cause hospital-acquired infections. The development of faster and inexpensive tools for identification is critical to controlling, preventing and establishing early diagnosis of this emerging pathogen. Identification of C. auris by use of conventional laboratory methods is challenging, and it is commonly misidentified as other Candida species. Less expensive, reliable DNA-based tests have been used for identifying C. auris in environmental and clinical samples. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry is also a useful tool for identification of cultured isolates. This review provides a succinct overview of the available methods for identification of C. auris with particular emphasis on their relative advantages and drawbacks.

Keywords: Candida auris; Clinical microbiology; Detection methods; Identification methods; Molecular diagnostics.