Candida auris (C. auris) in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Candida auris (C. auris) is an emerging, uncommon fungus (a type of yeast) that can cause serious infections, especially in people who are already very ill or have weakened immune systems. While most people who carry C. auris on their skin never become sick, it can sometimes lead to severe bloodstream, wound, or ear infections and is of particular concern in hospitals and long-term care facilities.

In Grand Rapids and across Michigan, major health systems such as Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health), Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health – University of Michigan Health, and Mercy Health closely monitor and manage potential cases of C. auris in coordination with the Kent County Health Department and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

What is Candida auris?

Candida is a group of fungi (yeasts) that normally live on our skin and inside the body, such as in the mouth, gut, and vagina. Most of the time, these yeasts do not cause problems.

Candida auris is different because:

  • It can cause serious infections, especially in hospitalized patients.
  • It spreads more easily from person to person than most other Candida species.
  • It is often resistant to common antifungal medications, which makes treatment more challenging.
  • It can survive on surfaces and equipment, leading to outbreaks in hospitals and nursing homes.

In the United States, including Michigan, most identified cases have been in people who spent time in hospitals or healthcare facilities where C. auris is more common, sometimes outside the country.

C. auris in Grand Rapids and West Michigan

Although Grand Rapids has not had widespread community transmission of C. auris, local hospitals take it very seriously because:

  • The metro area has a large and growing population with many regional referral hospitals.
  • Facilities provide complex care (ICUs, cancer treatment, transplant services) where patients are at higher risk.
  • The cold Michigan winters and frequent hospitalizations for respiratory and cardiac issues mean more people are in healthcare settings where C. auris could spread if introduced.

Local infection prevention teams at Corewell Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, and other area hospitals follow strict guidelines from the CDC, Kent County Health Department, and Grand Rapids Public Health to quickly identify and contain any suspected cases.

Colonization vs. Infection

What is colonization?

Many people who have C. auris on their body do not feel sick and do not have any symptoms. When the fungus is present on the skin or in the body without causing illness, this is called colonization.

  • People who are colonized may carry C. auris on:
    • The skin (especially armpits and groin)
    • The nose
    • Other body sites
  • Colonization can last for a long time and may be lifelong.
  • Colonized individuals can spread C. auris to others or to the environment, even if they feel well.

What is infection?

In some people—especially those who are already very sick or have weakened immune systems—C. auris can cause actual infection, such as:

  • Bloodstream infections (sepsis)
  • Wound infections
  • Ear infections
  • Less commonly, infections in other body sites

These infections can be serious and may require hospital care in Grand Rapids facilities such as Butterworth Hospital, Blodgett Hospital, or Trinity Health Grand Rapids Hospital.

Who is at Risk for C. auris Infection?

Healthy people in the community (for example, living at home in Grand Rapids, going to work, school, or local gyms) are at very low risk of C. auris infection.

You may be at higher risk if you:

  • Are currently in a hospital, long-term care facility, or nursing home
  • Have been in a hospital or healthcare facility in another state or country where C. auris is more common
  • Have a weakened immune system, such as from cancer treatment, organ transplant, or certain chronic illnesses
  • Have tubes or devices such as:
    • Central lines (IV catheters)
    • Breathing tubes
    • Feeding tubes
    • Urinary catheters
  • Have had recent surgery
  • Have been on broad-spectrum antibiotics or antifungal medications for a long time
  • Have had a long hospital stay, especially in an intensive care unit (ICU)

In Grand Rapids, if you have received care overseas or in another U.S. region with known C. auris outbreaks, local hospitals may screen you as a precaution when you are admitted.

How Does Candida auris Spread?

C. auris usually spreads in healthcare settings, not in everyday community environments.

It can spread:

  • From person to person through direct contact, especially via:
    • Hands of healthcare workers who do not clean their hands properly between patients
  • Through contaminated surfaces or equipment, such as:
    • Bed rails
    • Medical equipment (blood pressure cuffs, thermometers)
    • Bedside tables, chairs, and other frequently touched surfaces

C. auris is not spread through the air like the flu or COVID-19. It is not spread by coughing or sneezing.

Diagnosis of Candida auris in Grand Rapids

How is colonization detected?

If your doctor or the hospital infection prevention team thinks you may have been exposed to C. auris—for example, if you were in a facility with known C. auris cases—you may be offered a screening test.

  • A nurse or doctor will collect a sample using a soft cotton swab from:
    • Your armpits, and
    • Your groin (the area where your leg joins your body)

The test is not painful

The swab is gently wiped on the skin and then sent to a laboratory. In Grand Rapids, local hospital labs and state public health labs use specialized technology to correctly identify C. auris, because it can be difficult to detect with standard yeast tests.

How is infection diagnosed?

If you have signs of infection—such as fever, chills, or a wound that is not healing—your healthcare provider may:

  • Take a blood sample
  • Swab a wound or ear
  • Collect other specimens (for example, urine or fluid from catheters) as needed

These samples are sent to a lab, where they are cultured and tested to see if C. auris is causing the infection. The lab will then report the results to your treating doctor in Grand Rapids.

Treatment of Candida auris

Treating C. auris infections

Most C. auris infections are treated with a group of antifungal medications called echinocandins. Because C. auris is often resistant to many common antifungal drugs:

  • Your doctor may need to use higher doses or combinations of antifungal medications.
  • Treatment will usually take place in a hospital, especially for bloodstream infections.

Your Grand Rapids healthcare provider (for example, an infectious disease specialist at Corewell Health or Trinity Health Grand Rapids) will:

  • Review the lab results
  • Choose the most effective medication based on which drugs the fungus is sensitive to
  • Monitor you closely for response and side effects

Treating colonization (carrying C. auris without symptoms)

At this time, there is no evidence that antifungal medications can safely and reliably remove C. auris from people who are only colonized and not sick.

For this reason:

  • Treatment is not recommended if you are colonized but have no symptoms or signs of infection.
  • Giving antifungal medications when you are not sick can:
    • Be dangerous due to side effects
    • Increase the risk of the fungus becoming even more drug-resistant
    • Make future infections harder to treat

Your doctor will talk with you about your specific situation and whether you need any treatment.

Screening for C. auris in Grand Rapids Hospitals

Screening for C. auris usually occurs when:

  • You have been in contact with a known case of C. auris
  • You were recently in a hospital or long-term care facility where C. auris has been reported
  • You have been transferred to a Grand Rapids hospital from another facility in Michigan, another state, or another country with documented C. auris cases

The screening test uses the same type of swab as described above (armpits and groin). This is sometimes called a “screening swab” rather than a diagnostic test, because it looks for colonization rather than infection.

If the test shows you are carrying the fungus, your nurse or doctor will:

  • Explain the results
  • Discuss what it means for your care
  • Review the steps to prevent spreading C. auris to others

What Happens if You Have C. auris in the Hospital?

If you are in a Grand Rapids hospital and are found to have C. auris (either colonization or infection), special infection prevention precautions will be taken to protect you and other patients.

While you are waiting for test results

If there is a strong suspicion that you may have C. auris, you may:

  • Be placed in a single room
  • Have staff wear gowns and gloves when entering your room

This is done to reduce the chance of spreading C. auris to other patients while your test is processed.

If your test is positive for C. auris

If you are confirmed to carry or be infected with C. auris:

  • You will usually stay in a single room.
  • A sign will be placed on your door to remind healthcare workers to:
    • Wear gowns and gloves
    • Practice strict hand hygiene before and after entering your room
  • Everyone entering or leaving your room—including you and your visitors—will need to:
    • Wash hands with soap and water, or
    • Use an alcohol-based hand rub

An alert will be added to your hospital record so that if you are admitted again to any Grand Rapids or Michigan hospital, staff will know to use these extra precautions right away.

Your family and friends can still visit you, but they will be asked to:

  • Clean their hands before and after visiting
  • Follow instructions from staff about gowns and gloves if required

Your access to medical treatment and care is not restricted because of C. auris. You will still receive all needed healthcare services.

After You Leave the Hospital

You may feel completely well and be ready to go home, but you may still be considered to have C. auris colonization. That means:

  • You may continue to carry C. auris on your skin.
  • Extra precautions may be needed whenever you are admitted to a healthcare facility in the future.

Tell your healthcare providers

If you:

  • Go to another hospital, clinic, or urgent care (in Grand Rapids or elsewhere in Michigan)
  • See other healthcare professionals (such as your primary care doctor, physiotherapist, home health nurse, or wound care clinic)
  • Receive home care services

You should tell them that you have had C. auris colonization or infection in the past.

Take your hospital discharge summary with you

Whenever possible, bring your discharge summary from the hospital. This document helps new healthcare providers understand:

  • Your C. auris status
  • What treatments you received
  • What precautions are recommended

Preventing the Spread of C. auris in Healthcare Settings

In Grand Rapids hospitals and nursing homes, infection prevention measures may include:

  • Single rooms for patients with C. auris
  • Contact precautions:
    • Gowns and gloves for staff and visitors
  • Strict hand hygiene:
    • Handwashing with soap and water
    • Alcohol-based hand rubs
  • Enhanced environmental cleaning:
    • Use of disinfectants effective against C. auris
    • Regular cleaning of high-touch surfaces and shared equipment
  • Screening of high-risk patients, especially those transferred from facilities with known C. auris cases

As a patient or visitor, you can help by:

  • Cleaning your hands:
    • Whenever you leave your hospital room
    • Before and after touching any wounds, dressings, or medical devices
  • Reminding others (politely) to clean their hands before they touch you or your surroundings.

Candida auris at Home

Once you are discharged from a Grand Rapids hospital, you do not usually need special precautions at home. C. auris is mainly a concern in healthcare environments where people are very sick.

However, it is important that you and your family follow good general hygiene practices:

Hand hygiene

Always wash your hands with soap and water:

  • After using the toilet
  • Before preparing or eating food
  • Before and after touching any wounds or medical devices (such as feeding tubes, catheters, or IV lines)
  • After changing bandages or dressings

In Michigan’s cold and flu season, when respiratory infections are more common, regular handwashing also helps prevent many other illnesses.

Personal items

  • Use your own towels and face cloths.
  • Do not share towels, washcloths, razors, or other personal items with others.
  • Wash towels and linens regularly in your usual laundry.

Wound care

  • Cover any wounds with a bandage whenever possible.
  • Change dressings as instructed by your healthcare provider or home health nurse.
  • Dispose of used dressings in a regular trash bag and wash your hands afterward.

Cleaning and laundry

  • No special cleaning products are usually required at home.
  • Clean your home as you normally would.
  • Clothing, bedding, and towels can be washed with the rest of the household laundry using your usual detergent.
  • Dishes and utensils can be washed as you normally do (dishwasher or hot soapy water).

Informing others

  • You do not need to inform:
    • Employers
    • Schools
    • Gyms
    • Community businesses
    • Public swimming pools
  • You should inform healthcare facilities and providers (hospitals, clinics, home care agencies) that you have had C. auris so they can use appropriate precautions.

Your right to receive care is not affected by having C. auris. Healthcare providers in Grand Rapids are required to provide safe, non-discriminatory care.

Local Resources in Grand Rapids, MI

If you have questions or concerns about C. auris, you can contact:

  • Your primary care physician or GP (for example, through Corewell Health, Trinity Health, Metro Health, or your independent practice)
  • Infection Prevention and Control Team at the hospital where you received care
  • Kent County Health Department – for public health information and guidance
  • Grand Rapids Public Health resources and local clinics for additional support

These local organizations work together to monitor emerging infections like C. auris and protect the health of residents throughout West Michigan.

Key Points About Candida auris in Grand Rapids

  • Candida auris (C. auris) is an uncommon fungus that can cause serious bloodstream, wound, or ear infections, mainly in hospitalized or very ill patients.
  • C. auris can cause problems in hospitals and nursing homes because it can spread from patient to patient or via shared objects and surfaces.
  • Many people who carry C. auris on their skin have no symptoms; this is called colonization.
  • In the U.S., including Michigan, most cases have been linked to people who were in hospitals or healthcare facilities where C. auris is more common, sometimes outside the country.
  • C. auris is often resistant to common antifungal medicines, making infections harder to treat.
  • Grand Rapids hospitals and the Kent County Health Department use strict infection control measures, screening, and specialized lab testing to detect and contain C. auris.
  • At home, no special cleaning is usually needed, but good hand hygiene, not sharing personal items, and proper wound care are important.
  • Always inform healthcare providers and facilities if you have been diagnosed with C. auris, and bring your hospital discharge summary to future appointments or admissions.

If you live in the Grand Rapids area and think you may have been exposed to C. auris or have questions about your risk, contact your doctor or local health system for personalized guidance.