title: Simple low cost differentiation of Candida auris from Candida haemulonii complex using CHROMagar Candida medium supplemented with Pal's medium.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Candida auris is unique due to its multidrug resistance and misidentification as Candida haemulonii by commercial systems. Its correct identification is important to avoid inappropriate treatments.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To develop a cheap method for differentiating C. auris from isolates identified as C. haemulonii by VITEK2.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen C. auris isolates, six isolates each of C. haemulonii and Candida duobushaemulonii, and one isolate of Candida haemulonii var. vulnera were tested using CHROMagar Candida medium supplemented with Pal's agar for better differentiation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On CHROMagar Candida medium supplemented with Pal's agar all C. auris strains showed confluent growth of white to cream colored smooth colonies at 37°C and 42°C after 24 and 48h incubation and did not produce pseudohyphae. The isolates of the C. haemulonii complex, on the contrary, showed poor growth of smooth, light-pink colonies at 24h while at 48h the growth was semiconfluent with the production of pseudohyphae. C. haemulonii complex failed to grow at 42°C.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report a rapid and cheap method using CHROMagar Candida medium supplemented with Pal's agar for differentiating C. auris from isolates identified as C. haemulonii by VITEK2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Kochi, Kerala, India. Electronic address: vanilkumar@aims.amrita.edu.
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Kochi, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Arun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sachu
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Kochi, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Karthika
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mohan
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanoscience and Molecular Medicine, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Cochin, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Vivek
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vinod
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Kochi, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Kavitha
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dinesh
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Kochi, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Shamsul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karim
mesh_terms: D000362:Agar; D002175:Candida / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000382:microbiology*; D002863:Chromogenic Compounds; D003470:Culture Media / Q000191:economics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D026141:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Fungal; D006801:Humans; D016533:Mycological Typing Techniques / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D002863:Chromogenic Compounds; D003470:Culture Media; D000362:Agar
keywords: CHROMagar Candida; Candida auris; Candida haemulonii complex; Complejo Candida haemulonii; Medio de Pal; Pal's medium