Isolation of Candida auris in large hospitals in the Autonomous Community of Valencia; population-based study (2013-2017).

Abstract Background Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant and highly virulent yeast that spreads easily among patients. Aims To describe the characteristics of candidemia caused by C. auris in the southeast of Spain (Autonomous Community of Valencia – ACV) through a 5-year population-based study. Methods An analysis of all the episodes of candidemia diagnosed in the ACV, with approximately 4,500,000 inhabitants, during 2013–2017, was done. Data were obtained from the Epidemiological Surveillance Valencian Network, a network that collects all the microbiological data from the hospitals in the study region. Results Based on the records, 1.9% of the isolates recovered from the positive blood cultures (corresponding to 1789 patients) were yeasts. This implies an annual rate of 7.09 cases/100,000 inhabitants. Of the 23 yeast species isolated, Candida albicans was the most frequent (37.3%), showing a higher frequency than Candida parapsilosis (28.4%) and Candida glabrata (15.6%) (p  500 beds (63.3% versus 36.7% in small hospitals) (p  Conclusions The information about the local epidemiology of candidemia is essential in order to decide the best empirical treatment approach. This study reports the novel presence of C. auris in large hospitals. This pathogen has usually resistance to several antifungals and causes severe fungemia, so the results of this work reveal the need to monitor the presence of this species systematically.