Octenidine effectively reduces Candida auris colonisation on human skin

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Dermatology
• Antimicrobial Resistance

Background:

• Candida auris (C. auris) is a critical priority pathogen identified by the WHO.
• C. auris exhibits multi-drug resistance and significant skin tropism, posing a major health threat.
• Effective strategies are needed to reduce C. auris colonization and healthcare-associated infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of commercial octenidine-based antiseptics against C. auris.
• To assess the reduction of C. auris colonization on both intact and wounded human skin models.
• To determine the in vitro antifungal activity of octenidine formulations against various C. auris strains.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an ex vivo human skin model to simulate clinical contamination scenarios.
• Applied two ready-to-use octenidine-based antiseptics post-contamination with planktonic C. auris.
• Assessed fungal colonization using periodic acid-Schiff staining, microscopy (bright field and scanning electron), and CFU quantification.
• Conducted in vitro biofilm assays with diverse C. auris strains, including drug-resistant variants.

Main Results:

• Octenidine-based antiseptics significantly reduced C. auris viability on intact and wounded human skin.
• Demonstrated nearly complete eradication of C. auris across tested strains in vitro.
• Microscopy confirmed a substantial decrease in fungal burden on treated skin samples.

Conclusions:

• Octenidine-based antiseptics show significant potential for reducing C. auris colonization on human skin.
• These findings support the integration of octenidine products into infection prevention and control strategies.
• The use of octenidine may enhance patient safety by mitigating C. auris transmission in healthcare settings.