Evaluation of usage of readily accessible Enterobacteriaceae differential and selective media for identifying Candida auris

Background

Candida auris is a drug-resistant fungal pathogen. Diagnosing it is challenging due to the need for modern techniques. This study aims to evaluate the usefulness of Enterobacteriaceae culture media in screening and identifying Candida auris, as those media are accessible in resource-limited laboratories.

Method

The study used various yeast strains, including Candida auris, to challenge bacteriologic media and evaluated the effectiveness of different Enterobacteriaceae differential and selective media in identifying and differentiating Candida auris from other yeasts.

Results

All yeasts can grow on all Enterobacteriaceae differential and selective media during various incubation times, resulting in variable colony sizes. Simon's Citrate Agar medium can differentiate Candida auris and other members of C. haemulonii complex from other yeasts.

Conclusion

Although definitive identification of Candida auris is challenging and requires specific methods, Citrate Agar could be a preliminary screening method in source-limited regions.