Candida auris, what do paediatricians need to know?

Area of Science:

• Medical Mycology
• Infectious Diseases
• Antimicrobial Resistance

Background:

• Candida auris is a newly identified fungal pathogen causing global invasive infections and hospital outbreaks.
• Accurate identification of C. auris is challenging due to limitations in standard phenotypic and biochemical methods.
• C. auris exhibits high resistance to common antifungals like fluconazole and amphotericin B, limiting treatment options.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the diagnostic and treatment challenges posed by Candida auris.
• To emphasize the increasing concern of C. auris infections, including in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature and clinical data on Candida auris.
• Analysis of identification methods and antifungal resistance profiles.
• Examination of reported cases, including pediatric instances.

Main Results:

• Standard diagnostic methods frequently misidentify C. auris.
• Over 90% of C. auris isolates show fluconazole resistance, and 35% are resistant to amphotericin B.
• C. auris infections are occurring in pediatric patients, contrary to trends seen with other resistant Candida species.

Conclusions:

• There is an urgent need for improved diagnostic tools for C. auris.
• Effective treatment strategies for C. auris infections require careful consideration due to widespread antifungal resistance.
• The emergence of C. auris in pediatric populations warrants further investigation and specific clinical vigilance.