Candida auris (Candidozyma auris, C. auris) is a fungal pathogen with multiple drug resistance, belonging to a species of yeast, known for its ability to sustain growth in the host. This organism can colonize human skin and spread through physical contact or contaminated surfaces and equipment. Given the limited reviews on skin load reduction methods of C. auris, this review by Du, et al. (2026) aims to summarize and evaluate the current load reduction methods involving reducing skin load, and the risk of colonization. The researchers say the findings will provide healthcare facilities and nursing homes with evidence-based guidance to develop effective prevention and control strategies.

Across the included studies, most interventions significantly reduced C. auris colonization, but complete eradication was achieved in few cases. For each intervention, key parameters were systematically extracted and synthesized into a structured summary table. Based on these data, key interventions were further categorized by the level of skin load reduction (strong, moderate, or weak) and summarized in a table that simplified an overview of the most relevant strategies for C. auris skin load reduction. Based on the simplified summary, complete eradication of C. auris skin colonization was achieved by only a limited number of interventions. The efficacy of antifungal agents for skin load reduction was markedly reduced in the presence of biofilms and organic load. Interventions that were effective against planktonic cells often failed to eliminate C. auris biofilms, particularly mature biofilms. Increasing the concentration or prolonging the contact time alone did not consistently overcome the reduced susceptibility associated with these conditions. In contrast, higher load reduction efficacy was predominantly observed with combination strategies or novel delivery approaches rather than single-agent applications.

Reference: Du, Y., Lu, Y., Qiao, F. et al. Methods for skin load reduction of Candida auris: a systematic review. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-026-01719-6