Evaluation of an Automated Wall-mounted Far Ultraviolet-C Light Technology for Continuous or Intermittent Decontamination of Candida auris on Surfaces

Abstract

Background: Technologies that provides safe and effective decontamination of surfaces and equipment between episodes of manual cleaning could be an important advance in efforts to prevent transmission of the emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris. Methods: We tested the efficacy of a novel wall-mounted far ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light technology that delivers far UV-C, when people are not detected within the field of illumination, against C. auris isolates from clades I, II, III, and IV using a quantitative disk carrier test method. In an equipment room, we examined the efficacy of the technology in reducing an isolate of C. auris from clade IV inoculated on multiple sites on portable devices.  Results: The far UV-C technology reduced isolates from all 4 clades of C. auris by >3 log10 colony-forming units (CFU) after an 8-hour exposure on steel disks. For the clade IV isolate, similar reductions were achieved on glass and plastic carriers. In the equipment room, the technology reduced C. auris inoculated on multiple sites on portable equipment by >2 log10 CFU in 4 hours.  Conclusions: The far UV-C technology could be useful for decontamination of surfaces and equipment between episodes of manual cleaning. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the use of the technology in clinical settings.