Pediatric infection guidance targets Candida auris control

The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America has issued pediatric guidance for preventing and controlling Candida auris, a drug-resistant fungal pathogen tied to health care-associated infections and outbreaks around the world. The consensus statement matters because earlier C. auris guidance has focused mainly on adult acute-care and long-term care settings, while children often receive care in spaces built around family involvement and shared activities.

SHEA said the recommendations cover pediatric hospitals and units, neonatal intensive care units, long-term care and rehabilitation facilities for children, schools, child care sites and family residential facilities. The statement was published in Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology, according to SHEA.

Candida auris, also known as Candidozyma auris, can be difficult to control because it is multidrug-resistant, SHEA said. The new guidance is meant for health care workers, infection prevention teams, public health partners, families and caregivers who may need to reduce transmission risk without disrupting essential pediatric care.

Guidance tailored to children’s settings

SHEA said pediatric settings pose different infection-control questions than adult facilities. The statement addresses caregiver rooming-in, breastfeeding, skin-to-skin care, shared play areas, therapy spaces, toys, breast pumps and pediatric equipment.

Lisa Maragakis, SHEA’s president, said the guidance accounts for the role families play in children’s care. “Children receive care in environments that look very different from adult health care settings, and infection prevention guidance must account for the essential role of caregivers and families,” Maragakis said in SHEA’s announcement.

The recommendations call for clear, plain-language education for caregivers and visitors, according to SHEA. They also advise facilities to work with local infection prevention specialists and public health officials when responding to possible exposures or cases.

SHEA said the statement recommends targeted screening based on defined exposures rather than broad measures that may not fit every setting. It also emphasizes careful environmental cleaning and disinfection with products shown to work against C. auris.

Balancing prevention and family-centered care

The consensus statement urges facilities to handle disclosure carefully, SHEA said, especially in non-health care group settings such as schools and child care programs. The goal is to limit stigma and avoid excluding children unnecessarily.

SHEA said the guidance supports caregiver presence, including rooming-in, where appropriate. It also encourages breastfeeding and skin-to-skin practices when they fit the child’s situation, while recommending shared decision-making when evidence is limited or a patient’s risks require an individualized plan.

Thomas Murray, the statement’s first author, said coordinated communication will be central because C. auris remains relatively uncommon in children. “Because C. auris remains relatively rare in pediatrics, clear communication and coordinated implementation are essential,” Murray said in SHEA’s announcement.

SHEA said the statement was written by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The group included specialists in pediatric infectious diseases, infection prevention and control, neonatology, early childhood care and education, long-term care and family partnership.

The published paper is titled “Infection prevention and control of Candida auris in pediatric settings.” SHEA identified the authors as Thomas S. Murray and colleagues and listed the DOI as 10.1017/ash.2026.10419.

This story draws on original reporting from Medical Xpress.