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Environmental Testing for Candida auris to Safeguard Patients and Support Infection Control Programs in California

Environmental Testing Services

Category	Press Release
Publish Date	1/25/2024
Author	Paul Cochrane
Title	Environmental Testing for Candida auris to Safeguard Patients and Support Infection Control Programs in California
Introduction	LA Testing provides laboratory testing services and sampling supplies to identify Candida auris, Clostridium difficile, MRSA and other superbugs associated with healthcare-associated infections.
Huntington Beach, CA, January 25, 2024 The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) describes Candida auris as a multidrug-resistant yeast that can spread in healthcare settings via person-to-person transmission or contact with contaminated surfaces. C. auris can cause serious, hard-to-treat infections, and since 2022, healthcare providers and laboratories in California are required to report cases of C. auris colonization and infection to public health per state regulations. Candida auris was first identified in 2009 in Asia as an emerging multidrug-resistant microorganism. It has quickly become a cause of severe infections around the world according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency listed C. auris as a concerning drug-resistant fungus because it is: Often multidrug-resistant, with some strains resistant to all three available classes of antifungals Can cause outbreaks in healthcare facilities Some common healthcare disinfectants are less effective at eliminating it Can be carried on patients’ skin without causing infection, allowing spread to others “While the risk of C. auris infection in otherwise healthy people is low, in some hospitalized patients with a weakened immune system it can cause wound infections, ear infections and bloodstream infections which can spread throughout the body,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager at LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “To help prevent the spread of C. auris and other superbugs, the scientists at LA Testing provide advanced environmental testing services to support infection control efforts, confirm disinfection procedures and to help track down the source of an outbreak if one has already occurred.” Last year, LA Testing sponsored an educational video about C. auris that can still be seen at: https://youtu.be/JGpL7VmKezg To learn more about environmental testing for C. auris or other infection control testing resources, please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com or call (800) 755-1794. About LA Testing LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for environmental and indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, bacteria, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: AIHA LAP LLC., AIHA ELLAP, AIHA EMLAP and AIHA IHLAP, CDC ELITE, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro and San Diego.