Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Candida auris Outbreak in a Multidisciplinary Hospital in Romania, during Post-pandemic Era: Potential Solutions and Challenges in Surveillance and Epidemiological Control

Violeta Melinte
* ,
Alexandra Daniela Tudor
ORCID logo ,
Adrian Georgian Bujoi
,
Adelina Maria Radu
,
Cristina Maria Văcăroiu
,
Miriana Cismaru
,
Tiberiu Sebastian Holban
,
Luminița Carmen Mîrzan
,
Ruxandra Popescu
,
Robert Cătălin Ciupan
,
Alin Baciu
,
Oriana Elena Moraru
,
Matei Popa-Cherecheanu
,
Valeriu Gheorghiță
ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 14 March 2024 / Approved: 15 March 2024 / Online: 15 March 2024 (11:10:31 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Melinte, V.; Tudor, A.D.; Bujoi, A.G.; Radu, M.-A.; Văcăriou, M.C.; Cismaru, I.M.; Holban, T.S.; Mîrzan, C.L.; Popescu, R.; Ciupan, R.C.; Baciu, A.; Moraru, O.E.; Popa-Cherecheanu, M.; Gheorghiță, V. Candida auris Outbreak in a Multidisciplinary Hospital in Romania during the Post-Pandemic Era: Potential Solutions and Challenges in Surveillance and Epidemiological Control. Antibiotics 2024, 13, 325. Melinte, V.; Tudor, A.D.; Bujoi, A.G.; Radu, M.-A.; Văcăriou, M.C.; Cismaru, I.M.; Holban, T.S.; Mîrzan, C.L.; Popescu, R.; Ciupan, R.C.; Baciu, A.; Moraru, O.E.; Popa-Cherecheanu, M.; Gheorghiță, V. Candida auris Outbreak in a Multidisciplinary Hospital in Romania during the Post-Pandemic Era: Potential Solutions and Challenges in Surveillance and Epidemiological Control. Antibiotics 2024, 13, 325.

Abstract

C. auris is a newly emerging yeast, raising public health concerns due to its outbreak potential, lack of protocols for decontamination and isolation of patients or contacts, increased resistance to common antifungals and associated high mortality. This research aimed to describe the challenges related to identifying the outbreak, limiting further contamination, and treating affected individuals. We retrospectively analysed all cases of C. auris detected between October 2022 and August 2023, but our investigation focused on a three-month-long outbreak in the department of cardio-vascular surgery and the related intensive care unit. Along with isolated cases in different wards, we identified 13 patients who became infected or colonized in the same area and time, even though the epidemiological link could be traced only in 10 patients, according to the epidemiological investigation. In conclusion, our study emphasizes the substantial challenge encountered in clinical practice when attempting to diagnose and limit the spread of an outbreak. Therefore, it is crucial to promptly apply contact precaution measures and appropriate environmental cleaning, from the first case detected positive.

Keywords

Candida auris hospital outbreak; emerging infections; antimicrobial resistance; healthcare-associated infections; post-pandemic era.

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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