Candida auris outbreak in healthcare
facilities in northern Italy, 2019-2021

Italy has reported an outbreak of Candida auris in the region of Liguria with at least 277 cases. The first C. auris case in Liguria was detected in one hospital in July 2019 and cases continued to occur sporadically in the same hospital. In February 2020, C. auris was detected in an intensive care unit (ICU) for treatment of patients with severe COVID-19 in the same hospital, with a subsequent increase in case numbers throughout 2020 and 2021. To date, 277 cases have occurred in at least eight healthcare facilities in Liguria, and 11 cases in facilities in the neighbouring region of Emilia-Romagna.