For Release:  November 28, 2016

CDC recently announced that drug resistant Candida auris infections have been identified in hospitals in the United States (https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p1104-candida-auris.html). Drug resistant Candida auris is a fungus that presents a serious global health threat. It can cause serious and sometimes fatal fungal infections.

C. auris infections tends to occur in hospitalized patients and can be resistant to antifungal drugs. In the announcement, CDC recommended thorough daily and after-discharge cleaning of rooms of C. auris patients using EPA registered hospital disinfectants active against fungi. CDC issued a clinical alert on Candida to U.S. healthcare facilities on June 28th: http://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/candidiasis/candida-auris-alert.html.  

EPA is responsible for regulating hospital disinfectants and other antimicrobial pesticides used in healthcare facilities. EPA recommends using hospital disinfectant products with fungal claims, which should be effective against C. auris. To find out whether a hospital disinfectant has fungal claims, use EPA’s Pesticide Product Label Search site. Users can search by EPA registration number (which can be found on the product label), product name, the company name, or specific chemical name. There are currently no hospital disinfectants registered for use specifically against C. auris. 

EPA is continuing to work with CDC to evaluate the effectiveness of hospital disinfectants against Candida auris. Guidance to the companies that register antimicrobial products and seek label claims against C. auris is under development.  

Q & A from CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/candidiasis/candida-auris-qanda.html