Candida auris: An Emerging Challenge in Clinical Mycology and Public Health in Latin America

Candida auris is an emerging fungus that poses a critical challenge in clinical mycology and global public health. Identified in 2005, this pathogen has caused hospital outbreaks due to its resistance to multiple antifungals and ability to persist in hospital settings. In Latin America, C. auris has been reported since 2012 in several countries, including a case in Ecuador in 2024. Its emergence has been linked to climate change and the excessive use of antifungals, which could be favoring its proliferation. The diagnosis of C. aurisis complex and requires advanced methods such as MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and molecular techniques due to its phenotypic variability. Another factor to be relevant to public health is resistance to conventional treatments. In addition, genomic surveillance is essential to understand the epidemiology of this pathogen and control its spread in hospital settings. Urgent prevention, detection, and treatment measures are necessary to limit the spread of C. auris in the region and minimize its impact on public health. Implementing comprehensive strategies, including genomic surveillance and advanced diagnostic techniques, is crucial to address this emerging problem in Latin America. Keywords: Candida auris, Fungal infections, Antifungal resistance, Clinical mycology, Genomic surveillance, Latin America.