Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Application for Candida auris Outbreak Typing in a Referral Intensive Care...

Area of Science:

• Clinical Microbiology
• Mycology
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Candida auris is a multi-drug resistant fungus causing significant clinical issues.
• Its persistence on skin and hospital surfaces necessitates robust surveillance to prevent outbreaks.
• Candida auris is listed as a priority fungal pathogen by the WHO.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply FT-IR spectroscopy for analyzing phylogenetic relationships among C. auris strains.
• To establish a non-Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS)-based clustering cut-off for C. auris typing.
• To assess FT-IR as a tool for rapid and cost-effective strain identification.

Main Methods:

• Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to analyze isolated C. auris strains.
• Intra- and inter-isolate distance values were calculated to define a clustering cut-off.
• Results were validated using Principal Component and Linear Discriminant Analyses.

Main Results:

• FT-IR analysis revealed two main clusters (Alfa and Beta) of C. auris strains.
• A statistically defined clustering cut-off was established, differentiating the strains.
• The method demonstrated high discriminatory power, validated by external strains.

Conclusions:

• FT-IR spectroscopy provides valuable insights into the phylogenetic relationships of C. auris strains.
• This technique establishes a novel, non-WGS-based clustering cut-off for C. auris.
• FT-IR is a viable, rapid, and cost-effective alternative to molecular methods for C. auris strain typing.