First Case of <i>Candida auris</i> Colonization in a Preterm, Extremely Low-Birth-Weight Newborn after Vaginal Delivery

<i>Candida auris</i> is a multidrug-resistant, difficult-to-eradicate pathogen that can colonize patients and health-care environments and cause severe infections and nosocomial outbreaks, especially in intensive care units. We observed an extremely low-birth-weight (800 g), preterm neon...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Alessio Mesini, Carolina Saffioti, Marcello Mariani, Angelo Florio, Chiara Medici, Andrea Moscatelli, Elio Castagnola
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
Series:Journal of Fungi
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/7/8/649
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Summary:<i>Candida auris</i> is a multidrug-resistant, difficult-to-eradicate pathogen that can colonize patients and health-care environments and cause severe infections and nosocomial outbreaks, especially in intensive care units. We observed an extremely low-birth-weight (800 g), preterm neonate born from vaginal delivery from a <i>C. auris</i> colonized mother, who was colonized by <i>C. auris</i> within a few hours after birth. We could not discriminate whether the colonization route was the birth canal or the intensive care unit environment. The infant died on her third day of life because of complications related to prematurity, without signs or symptoms of infections. In contexts with high rates of <i>C.auris</i> colonization, antifungal prophylaxis in low-birth-weight, preterm neonates with micafungin should be considered over fluconazole due to the <i>C. auris</i> resistance profile, at least until its presence is excluded.
ISSN:2309-608X