Candida auris is taking over European hospitals

Candida auris is not just another microscopic inhabitant of hospital corridors. It is a pathogen that has become one of the most alarming signals for Europe's health systems over the past decade. According to a recent report by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), between 2013 and 2023, 4,012 cases of infection or carriage of this fungus were reported in EU/EEA countries, a third of them in the last year alone.

The most serious situation is observed in Spain, Greece, Italy and Romania. Germany, with its well-developed health system, ranked fifth with 120 cases, of which 77 occurred in 2023. This is an alarming increase, given that there were far fewer episodes before 2023. As microbiologist Oliver Kurzai of Würzburg notes, "the risk of infection for each individual patient is still low," but in epidemiological terms, the situation is worrying.

Candida auris has the ability to survive on surfaces in the hospital environment, form treatment-resistant colonies and cause severe infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. This makes it particularly dangerous in intensive care units.

In Luxembourg, no cases were reported between 2013 and 2023. However, despite the existence of a national reference laboratory for mycology and mandatory reporting of cases of sepsis caused by Candida auris, the country still lacks national clinical guidelines for diagnosis and treatment. ECDC points to this as a key breach in biosafety.