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The COVID-19 pandemic coincided with rising secondary bloodstream infections (BSIs) from multidrug-resistant organisms, including Candida auris . To assess candidemia trends, we conducted a retrospective analysis of blood culture isolates from public and private laboratories in South Africa taken during January 2019–June 2022.
We evaluated weekly aggregated Candida BSI counts and COVID-19 cases using segmented regression within an interrupted time-series framework. In total, 15,393 candidemia cases were identified, 70% from the private sector.
C. parapsilosis accounted for 39% of cases, whereas C.
auris represented 26%. The proportion of C.
auris increased significantly from 17% in 2019 to 31% in 2021 (p Candida BSIs rose by 11 cases per week (p = 0.03), largely driven by C. auris (+5 cases/week; p C.
auris in Candida BSIs and the urgent need for enhanced surveillance, diagnostics, and infection prevention.
CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal published a clinical update in Infectious Disease on 02 Apr 2026.
The item focuses on Accelerated Increase in Candida auris Bloodstream Infections during COVID-19 Pandemic, South Africa.
Review the original article for the full source wording and details.