Evaluation of Candida auris Colonization using Clinical Skin Swabs: A Single-Center Study in Isfahan, Iran

The multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen Candida auris has been associated with healthcare. We need to address COVID-19 pandemic as well as the ongoing global fungal epidemic caused by C. auris, a multi-drug-resistant fungus spreading rapidly throughout the world. This study was conducted on patients admitted to an ICU in Isfahan, Iran, from November 2020 to February 2021 to determine the spectrum of C. auris colonization in immunocompromised patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit (ICU). Therefore, clinical swabs were collected from 32 immunocompromised patients for C. auris detection upon ICU admission after 7 to 14 days. A rich culture medium was used to evaluate C. auris growth at a higher temperature (40°C) and salinity (10% wt/vol) in Sabouraud dextrose agar, which can be used in combination with a C. auris-specific polymerase chain reaction method. C. auris was not isolated in the clinical samples of patients. The most common colonizer was Candida albicans, followed by C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis. Candida glabrata was the only species with noticeable growth in the Salt SDA, with D-Mannitol as a carbon source. Currently, C. auris is not a common cause of systemic or superficial fungal infections in Iran. The screening of patients admitted to the ICU for C. auris could aid in the identification of colonized patients and could simplify the application of infection control measures.