Candida auris Surveillance, QUAL by PCR

Swab transported in ESwab tube.  The proper swab comes with the ESwab tube packet.Swab both the left and right axilla (armpit) skin surface in the crease of the skin where the arm meets the body -- rub swab across area 3-5 times each side.  Using the same swab, swab the left and right groin skin surface - where the thigh meets the trunk of the body -- rubbing across the area 3-5 times.

• 5 days at room temperature


• 7 days at 4°C (refrigerated)


• 6 months frozen at -20°C

Candida auris is a multi-drug resistant yeast that represents a serious global health threat. It was first described as having clinical significance in an external ear canal from a patient in a Japanese hospital published in 2009. Candida auris is now globally infecting patients through out the hospital setting. Per the CDC,"A total of 6,304 clinical cases of Candida auris (C. auris) were reported to CDC in 2024. C. auris cases continue to rise each year, but the rate of increase has slowed down since 2022." 

Many strains are resistant to all three main classes of antifungal medication. It is frequently misidentified as other yeasts when using standard biochemical methods. It can persist on healthcare surfaces for long periods of time and spread easily between patients in healthcare settings. Candida auris can cause invasive infections including bloodstream infections with high mortality rates, particularly in immunocompromised or critically ill patients.The use of real time pcr allows for the identification of C. auris within hours, whereas culture-based methods may take days to yield definitive results.