Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 5, 2025
Rapid and Specific Detection of Acinetobacter baumannii Infections Using a Recombinase Polymerase Amplification/Cas12a-based System
Published on: April 25, 2025
Candida auris Direct Detection from Surveillance Swabs, Blood, and Urine Using a Laboratory-Developed PCR Method
Robert C Walchak1, Seanne P Buckwalter1, Nicole M Zinsmaster1
1Division of Clinical Microbiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA.
Abstract:
Candida auris is an emerging fungal pathogen with cases reported in countries around the world and in 19 states within the United States as of August 2020. The CDC has recommended that hospitals perform active surveillance upon admission for patients with the appropriate risk factors. Currently, active surveillance requires that local hospitals send surveillance swabs to a public health laboratory for analysis. In this work, a real-time PCR assay was developed for the specific detection of C. auris from surveillance swabs, blood, and urine to enable rapid detection of this pathogen. The assay uses commercially available primers and reporter probes and it was verified on the LightCycler 480 PCR platform. Contrived specimens and prospectively collected composite groin/axilla surveillance swabs were used to validate the assay. The performance of the PCR assay on surveillance swabs was also compared to a second PCR assay targeting C. auris that was performed at the Minnesota Department of Health-Public Health Laboratory (MDH-PHL). Our PCR assay is able to detect and differentiate C. auris from closely related Candida species such as C. duobushaemulonii, C. haemulonii, and C. pseudohaemulonii on the basis of melting curve temperature differences.
Insights
A new real-time PCR assay rapidly detects Candida auris, an emerging fungal pathogen, from patient samples. This method aids hospitals in quick identification and surveillance, improving patient care and infection control.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Molecular Diagnostics
Background:
- Candida auris is a growing global fungal threat, with increasing cases reported worldwide and in the United States.
- Current hospital surveillance for Candida auris relies on external public health laboratories, delaying results.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends active surveillance for high-risk patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a real-time PCR assay for rapid and specific detection of Candida auris.
- To enable timely identification of Candida auris directly within healthcare settings.
- To differentiate Candida auris from closely related species.
Main Methods:
- Development of a real-time PCR assay using commercially available primers and probes.
- Verification of the assay on the LightCycler 480 PCR platform.
- Validation using contrived specimens and clinical surveillance swabs (groin/axilla).
- Comparison of assay performance against a reference PCR assay at the Minnesota Department of Health-Public Health Laboratory.
Main Results:
- The developed real-time PCR assay demonstrated specific detection of Candida auris.
- The assay successfully identified Candida auris from surveillance swabs, blood, and urine.
- Differentiation from closely related Candida species was achieved based on melting curve temperature differences.
Conclusions:
- The developed real-time PCR assay provides a rapid and specific method for Candida auris detection.
- This assay can facilitate timely surveillance and diagnosis in clinical settings.
- The assay's ability to differentiate species is crucial for accurate identification and management of Candida auris infections.
