Candida auris, an emerging multidrug-resistant yeast, is distinguished from other Candida species by which key property?
- A It forms germ tubes in serum at 37°C (distinguishing it from C. albicans which does not)
- B It is susceptible to all echinocandins but resistant to all azoles
- C It is misidentified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Candida haemulonii by conventional API biochemical methods ✓
- D It only infects neonates and is not found in adult ICUs
Explanation
Candida auris is notorious for being misidentified as other species (particularly Candida haemulonii, Rhodotorula glutinis, or Saccharomyces cerevisiae) by conventional biochemical systems (API Candida, Vitek 2 ID), leading to missed diagnoses during outbreaks. MALDI-TOF MS with updated library databases or molecular methods (ITS sequencing) are required for accurate identification. C. auris forms germ tubes poorly (unlike C. albicans which reliably forms germ tubes). It shows multidrug resistance patterns — often resistant to fluconazole, amphotericin B, and sometimes echinocandins. It causes HAI outbreaks in ICUs across all age groups.
Reference: Ananthanarayan & Paniker's Textbook of Microbiology, 11th ed.
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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.