Human infections caused by clonally related african clade (clade III) strains of candida auris in the greater houston region

S. Wesley Long, Matthew Ojeda Saavedra, Paul A. Christensen, James M. Musser, Randall J. Olsena

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Candida auris is a pathogen of considerable public health importance. It was first reported in 2009. Five clades, determined by genomic analysis and named by the distinct regions where they were initially identified, have been defined. We previously completed a draft genome sequence of an African clade (clade III) strain cultured from the urine of a patient hospitalized in the greater Houston metropolitan region (strain LOM). Although initially uncommon, reports of the African clade in the United States have grown to include a recent cluster in California. Here, we describe a second human C. auris infection in the Houston area. Whole-genome sequence analysis demonstrated the Houston patient isolates to be clonally related to one another but distantly related to other African clade organisms recovered in the United States or elsewhere. Infections in these patients were present on admission to the hospital and occurred several months apart. Taken together, the data demonstrate the emergence and persistence of a clonal C. auris population and highlights the importance of routine high-resolution genomic surveillance of emerging human pathogens in the clinical laboratory.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere02063-19
JournalJournal of Clinical Microbiology
Volume58
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 24 2020

Keywords

  • Candida
  • Candida auris
  • Houston
  • Infection control
  • Phylogenetic analysis
  • Whole-genome sequencing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology (medical)

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