Wisconsin Surpasses 100 Cases of Candida auris
This bulletin is being sent to local health officers, Tribal health directors, public health nurses, local public health department staff, infection preventionists, NHSN Users, and subscribers to Health Alert Network and DQA Notifications lists.
Key points
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Candida auris (C.auris) is a fungus that is often resistant to multiple antifungal drugs. It can spread rapidly in health care settings, and be difficult to eliminate from the health care environment.
- Cases of C. auris are increasing in Wisconsin, with nearly double the number of cases detected in 2025 than 2024. The state has now surpassed a cumulative total of 100 cases since first being detected in January of 2022.
- More C. auris case are suspected to be associated with in-state transmission, compared to earlier cases which were suspected to be associated with transmission from out of the state or country.
- All health care facilities can take steps to prevent the spread of C. auris amongst their patients and residents by following infection prevention and control best practices. Action steps are described further in this notice.
Since being first detected in Wisconsin in January 2022, Wisconsin has now surpassed 100 cases of C. auris. The HAI Prevention Program encourages public health and health care partners to take action to protect patients and residents against C. auris.
About C. auris
C. auris is a fungus, specifically a yeast, that is often resistant to multiple antifungal drugs. People who are infected or colonized with C. auris can spread it to other people, surfaces, or objects in their environment. C. auris can also be spread by the hands or clothing of health care personnel. C. auris can spread rapidly in health care settings and be difficult to eliminate since the organism can live on skin and in the environment for months.
Increasing C. auris activity
In 2025, Wisconsin detected 41 new cases of C. auris, nearly double what had been detected in the year before. In more recent cases, suspected transmission has occurred from within Wisconsin. This is in comparison to earlier cases, where suspected transmission was from other states or countries. At this time, most of the cases are concentrated in the southeastern region of the state, but cases have been detected in four out of the five public health regions.
In Wisconsin, we have detected clinical cases in which patients experience signs and symptoms of infections as well as patients who are colonized with C. auris. Colonized patients are detected through colonization screening, which is an essential tool to prevent further transmission.
Data on Wisconsin cases can be found on the Wisconsin Communicable Disease Surveillance Data Dashboard.
Action steps for health care facilities
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Communicate patients’ or residents’ MDRO status and history.
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The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) highly recommends that health care providers flag a patient or resident’s electronic health record so that internal and external care providers can use proper precautions during health care encounters.
- To aid in these efforts, the HAI Prevention Program has launched an Antimicrobial Resistance Information Exchange (ARIE), which uses admissions data to alert hospitals to new admissions of patients known to be colonized with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), including C. auris.
- Health care facilities are encouraged to use the DHS Health Care Facility Transfer Form (PDF). This template form can be used when transferring patients or residents to an admitting health care facility to communicate C. auris or other communicable diseases status.
- A patient’s or resident’s MDRO status alone is not grounds to refuse their admission or readmission to a health care facility. For questions regarding patient or resident management and MDROs, please contact your regional infection preventionist.
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Use appropriate precautions when working with patients and residents.
- All health care facilities must use standard precautions for all patient or resident care encounters.
- Hospitals are strongly encouraged to use contact precautions in addition to standard precautions when caring for patients who are colonized or infected with C. auris, or another targeted MDROs. if conducting colonization screening, the use of empiric contact precautions is recommended while screening results are pending.
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Nursing homes should use enhanced barrier precautions (EBPs) in addition to standard precautions when:
- Caring for residents with chronic wounds or indwelling medical devices regardless of their MDRO status.
- Caring for residents who are colonized or infected with C. auris or another targeted MDRO when contact precautions do not otherwise apply.
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Follow proper cleaning and disinfection processes.
- Health care and environmental services personnel should consult disinfectants' manufacturer’s instructions for use for any kill claims, contact times, and concentration specifications. Refer to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) List P for products that are effective against C. auris.
- Whenever possible, use single-use, disposable, non-critical equipment or dedicate equipment for patients or residents colonized or infected with C. auris or another targeted MDRO. If this is not possible, disinfect shared medical equipment between patients or residents.
- Increase the frequency of cleaning, with additional focus on high-touch surfaces and the colonized or infected patient's or resident's room.
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Practice proper hand hygiene.
- Health care personnel should perform hand hygiene throughout their shift. Patients or residents who are colonized or infected with C. auris or another MDRO should be educated and encouraged to perform hand hygiene routinely.
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Utilize colonization screening to rapidly identify C. auris and other targeted MDROs. Colonization screening refers to the process of testing or screening someone for the presence of a specific MDRO.
- A health care facility may conduct response-driven screening after detection of a case, or admission screening of patients with known risk factors for C. auris or other targeted MDROs. See frequently asked questions on MDRO colonization screening in health care facilities (also available in Spanish) for additional information.
- The Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene offers fee-exempt colonization testing supplies to Wisconsin health care facilities. For more details on colonization screening, please reach out to the Wisconsin HAI Prevention Program.
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Implement an antimicrobial stewardship program.
DHS resources
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