Medical Advisory: Candida auris Clinical Infections Reportable to PHS

Background 

On January 1, 2025, Candida auris (C. auris) became a newly designated Disease of Public Health Significance (DoPHS) requiring C. auris to be reported to the Medical Officer of Health (MOH). Although the prevalence of C. auris in Ontario is low, the emergence of multidrug resistant organisms within Canadian health care facilities requires an integrated approach to surveillance and infection control across the broader health sector. With no or limited treatment options, even a single transmission event of C. auris is of concern. C. auris can cause a range of infections, and symptoms are often non-specific. Risk factor-based screening (see the screening checklist in the resource section below) can help to identify clients, patients, or residents at increased risk of having an antibiotic resistant organism.

Action Required

C. auris clinical infections must be reported to Hamilton Public Health Services (PHS) Infectious Disease Program by faxing reports to 844-444-0295. (NOTE: C. auris colonization is not reportable).
Public Health Services, Healthy and Safe Communities
Epidemiology, Wellness and Communicable Disease Control
110 King Street West, 2nd Floor, Hamilton, ON L8P 4S6
Phone: 905-546-2063 Fax: 844-444-0295

• Report all confirmed cases of Candida auris with clinical infection to Hamilton PHS no later than the next business day.
• Please review the updated list of diseases of public health significance by visiting hamilton.ca/infectiousdisease.

Case and Outbreak Definitions

• Confirmed cases include cases detected by an accredited microbiology laboratory from clinical infections only.
• Suspect Outbreaks may be suspected in an institution if:
  • A single confirmed case is identified in an institution that has not seen a case previously, OR
  • Two or more confirmed cases are identified within an institution even if they present on different units and present months apart.
• Confirmed Outbreaks in an institution occurs if:
  • Evidence of transmission between patients is identified, OR
  • An epidemiological link between patients is identified, OR
  • An institution considers, based on their policies, transmission has occurred, or if the incidence of C. auris at the facility is higher than expected even without a clear link between patients.