• ​Know the yeast identification method used by your laboratory and its limitations for C. auris identification

• Some local public health laboratories offer testing for C. auris identification and confirmation. Contact your local health department for more information. 
  

• View the Finding Candida auris in California Clinical Laboratories: Strategies That Work for Us! webinar slides (PDF) and recording (opens in YouTube).
  

• ​When a patient with C. auris is identified, implement screening of high-risk patients and patient contacts for C. auris colonization. Patients colonized with C. auris may not need medical treatment but can be potential sources of transmission to others.

• Colonization testing services can be accessed at no cost using the CDC Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory Network (AR Lab Network) for patients admitted to a healthcare facility, including in order of priority*:

1. High-risk patient contacts of a confirmed C. auris case, such as roommates and other patients residing in the same unit (including for point prevalence surveys (PPS))

2. Those admitted from facilities with known C. auris transmission

3. Those who are colonized with carbapenemase-producing organisms; prioritize those with non-KPC carbapenemase and requiring high-level care (e.g., indwelling medical devices, mechanical ventilation)

4. Those who have recently received healthcare outside the U.S. in the past 12 months, especially where C. auris cases have been reported; prioritize those co-colonized or -infected with carbapenemase-producing organisms

5. On a case-by-case basis, those who have exposure to multiple healthcare facilities, particularly long-term care facilities with ventilator units, and especially in regions with C. auris transmission

• Those who have indwelling medical devices, especially with tracheostomy or on mechanical ventilation

6. On a case-by-case basis, preemptive PPS in facilities admitting patients from facilities with known C. auris transmission

*Availability of AR Lab Network colonization testing resources based on screening priority. Contact your local health department when considering C. auris colonization testing.

• CDPH does not have any specific recommendations regarding the timing of collecting axilla/groin swabs for C. auris colonization testing relative to chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing. Healthcare facilities may consider swabbing individuals immediately prior to scheduled CHG or other bathing.
  

• ​Ensure and audit thorough daily and terminal environment cleaning of patient care environment and reusable equipment

• Focus on high-touch surfaces or any shared reusable patient equipment

• CDC recommends use of an EPA registered hospital-grade disinfectant effective against C. auris (List P) Clostridioides difficile spores (List K)
  

• Daily and terminal cleaning and disenfection of patient environment using a List P or List K product may be extended to an entire unit or facility where patients with C. auris are located 

• Review environmental cleaning checklists that are available on the CDPH HAI Program website

• ​Communicate C. auris status to the receiving facility ahead of time to ensure appropriate care is maintained when transferring a patient/resident

• Use the HAI Program interfacility transfer form during all patient transfers available via the Interfacility Transfer Communications Guide page. 
  

• ​ ​Participate in regional efforts to prevent the spread of drug-resistant infections

• Participate with laboratory partners in the California Antimicrobial Resistance Lab-Epi Alliance, and sign up for updates
  

• ​Consultation with an infectious disease specialist is highly recommended for patients infected with C. auris. See CDC’s guidance for more detailed treatment information