Candida auris outbreak in a King County healthcare facility

Actions requested

• Be aware that Kindred Hospital Seattle – First Hill, a long-term acute care hospital, has identified the first known outbreak of Candida auris (C. auris) in King County.
• As of 1/30/24, four patients colonized with C. auris have been identified with links to Kindred Hospital Seattle – First Hill. At least two patients are suspected to have acquired the organism at the facility; the source of colonization for the other two cases is currently under investigation.
• No deaths have been reported in connection with this outbreak.
• Public Health – Seattle & King County (Public Health) and Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH) are working with Kindred Hospital Seattle – First Hill to ensure that appropriate infection control precautions are in place. 
• Public Health recommends screening patients who had an admission at Kindred Hospital Seattle – First Hill since October 1, 2023.
• Healthcare facilities can consider screening more broadly to include patients with a stay at Kindred Hospital Seattle – First Hill since June 2023 when the last facility wide screening occurred, with all patients testing negative at that time.
• Any facility that receives a patient from Kindred Hospital Seattle – First Hill who has tested positive for C. auris, who has been screened, or has results pending, will be notified in the transfer paperwork.
• Coordinate C. auris screening with Public Health by calling 206-296-4774.
• Identify high-risk exposures in patients and consider C. auris screening in all newly admitted patients at high-risk for C. auris acquisition, including those who have had:
• Close contact in a healthcare setting to someone diagnosed with a C. auris infection or colonization. Close contact may include:
• Sharing a room, bathroom, or patient care equipment,
• Being cared for by the same healthcare staff,
• Staying in a room near a person with C. auris
• Direct admission from a ventilator-capable skilled nursing facility or a long-term acute care hospital,
• Colonization or infection with a CPO,
• An overnight stay in the prior year in a healthcare facility:
• Outside the United States or
• In a region of the United States with a high burden of C. auris cases
• Ensure adherence to CDC recommendations for infection control for patients with suspected or confirmed C. auris, including immediately:
• Placing patients infected or colonized with C. auris on Transmission-Based Precautions and, whenever possible, in a single room.
• Making sure gown and gloves are accessible and used appropriately.
• Reinforcing hand hygiene.
• Ensure appropriate cleaning and disinfection, using an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) List P (or List K) product.
• Be aware that C. auris can be misidentified through commercial laboratory testing and specific technology is needed for correct identification.
• Report any suspected or confirmed C. auris cases or outbreaks to Public Health at 206-296-4774 within 24 hours.