Candida auris for Health Professionals
- Candida auris Health Professionals Home
- Reporting Candida auris
- Isolate Submission and Laboratory Testing
- Hospital Admission Screening for CPO and C. auris Colonization
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Contact Info
Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division
651-201-5414
Candida auris Isolate Submission and Laboratory Testing
On this page:
Criteria for submission of isolates
Appropriate specimen types
Specimen submission forms
Shipping to MDH-PHL
Laboratory testing
Questions
Criteria for submission of isolates
Submission of Candida auris clinical materials or isolates to MDH is required.
- C. auris isolates from any body site (e.g., urine, blood, ear, wound, skin, etc.) must be submitted to the MDH-PHL, along with any antifungal susceptibility testing performed.
- C. auris can be misidentified with the phenotypic methods for yeast identification used by most clinical laboratories. The MDH-PHL is equipped to identify C. auris, and clinical laboratories should forward suspected or confirmed isolates to the MDH-PHL.
- C. auris is most commonly misidentified as Candida haemulonii, but the potential misidentifications are specific to each yeast identification method. For more detailed information regarding possible misidentification, visit CDC: Identification of C. auris.
- If your lab identifies a Candida species that may be a C. auris misidentification based on CDC’s guidance, we ask that those isolates be sent to MDH-PHL for further characterization.
- Many clinical laboratories do not typically determine the species of isolates from non-sterile sites since the presence of Candida in these sites may represent colonization rather than infection and would not require treatment. However, C. auris is important to identify even from a non-sterile body site because the presence of C. auris in any body site can represent wider colonization, posing a risk for transmission and requiring implementation of infection control precautions.
- When Candida is isolated from non-sterile sites, species-level identification can be considered in certain circumstances, including:
- When clinically indicated in the care of a patient.
- When a case of C. auris infection or colonization has been detected in a facility or unit, in order to detect additional patients colonized.
- When a patient has had an overnight stay in a health care facility outside the United States in the previous one year, especially if in a country with documented C. auris transmission. Visit CDC: Tracking C. auris for a map of countries with reported cases.
- If your facility does not identify yeast to the species level, MDH is available for consultation. Isolates of interest can be submitted to the PHL for identification.
Appropriate specimen types
- Send on any media that supports the growth of yeast.
Specimen submission forms
MDH-PHL requests the following documentation to be included with each isolate submission:
- Infectious Disease Laboratory Submission Form (PDF)
More information can be found on Forms for the Infectious Disease Laboratory- Be sure to include the following information:
- project number (2180)
- patient information
- facility information
- specimen source
- collection date
- isolate genus/species (if available)
- Be sure to include the following information:
- Antifungal Susceptibility Testing Report:
- If available, submit a copy of susceptibility testing results performed in your laboratory (automated, Etest, MIC, etc.)
Shipping to MDH-PHL
- Ship specimens to MDH-PHL by an overnight delivery service or local courier.
Note: It is the responsibility of the submitting laboratory to determine the appropriate packaging and shipping for patient specimens and culture isolates. See U.S. Department of Transportation Regulations: Hazardous materials shipping for more information.
- Isolates should be shipped at room temperature.
- Ship to:
Minnesota Department of Health
Public Health Laboratory
Attn: Biological Accessioning
601 Robert St. N
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155-2531
Laboratory testing
- MDH-PHL performs testing on submitted isolates.
C. auris identification is confirmed by MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry.
Questions?
MDH-PHL Special Microbiology Laboratory is available during regular business hours for consultation on Candida auris testing and result interpretation at 651-201-5073.
Last Updated: 05/21/2024