Stopping C. auris in an Oklahoma Hospital

Posted On: December 2017

Denise Robison, microbiology lab manager at the hospital, and Karlyn Beer of CDC cross-check a list of specimens.

When an Oklahoma hospital identified a patient with the multidrug-resistant fungus Candida auris in April 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state Health Department worked with hospital staff to rapidly identify other cases and stop its spread. Through successful infection control and robust coordination, C. auris did not spread beyond the initial patient.

C. auris is a serious threat because it can spread from person to person in healthcare settings, live on surfaces for several weeks and cause outbreaks in health care facilities. One in three patients with an invasive C. auris infection dies and the fungus is often resistant to drugs used to treat it.

Read more about this story to learn about the response.