Candida auris exhibits resilient biofilm characteristics in vitro: implications for environmental persistence.

Abstract Surfaces within healthcare play a key role in the transmission of drug-resistant pathogens. Candida auris is an emerging multi-drug resistant yeast which has the ability to survive for prolonged periods on environmental surfaces. Here we show that the ability to form cellular aggregates increases survival after 14 days, which coincides with the upregulation of biofilm-associated genes. Additionally, the aggregating strain demonstrated tolerance to clinical concentrations of sodium hypochlorite and remain viable 14 days’ post treatment. The ability of C. auris to adhere and persist on environmental surfaces emphasises our need to better understand the biology of this fungal pathogen.