Pr David J Weber1, Miss Constance Cheylac1, Miss Fanny Poulon1
1Germitec, BORDEAUX, France
Biography:
Prof. David J. Weber (MD, MPH, FIDSA, FSHEA, FRSM) is board certified in internal medicine, infectious diseases, critical care medicine, and preventative medicine. His research career has focused on healthcare associated infections, antibiotic stewardship, new and emerging diseases, and vaccine implementation. He has published >550 peer reviewed scientific papers.
Abstract:
Introduction
Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen of growing concern in healthcare settings worldwide. It is considered an “urgent threat” and a “critical priority” due to its ability to cause nosocomial bloodstream infections with a high mortality, environmental persistence, increasing incidence, geographic spread and capability to colonize cutaneous and mucosal surfaces. These characteristics require effective decontamination strategies of reusable medical devices.
Methods
This study evaluated the efficacy of the Chronos®, a High-Level Disinfection (HLD) device using ultraviolet-C (UV-C) irradiation, to decontaminate endocavity ultrasound probes contaminated with Candida auris, in comparison with various chemical disinfectants reported in peer-reviewed literature such as peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide or glutaraldehyde.
UV-C efficacy testing was conducted by the third-party laboratory (Eurofins Biotech-Germande), specializing in microbial disinfection testing. The test assessed the susceptibility of Candida auris, using Association of Official Analytical Collaboration (AOAC) 955.17 standard. C. auris was inoculated onto flat silicone carriers and exposed to a UV-C disinfection cycle within the Chronos® chamber.
Results
The Chronos® device achieved a 6.7-log10 reduction in colony-forming units (CFU), exceeding the minimum AOAC Official Method 955.17 requirement of 4.7-log10 reduction. In contrast, chemical disinfectants showed more variable performance. The best results achieved ranged from 4 to 4.1-log10 under challenging conditions.
Conclusion
These results highlight the strong potential of the Chronos® as an effective and sustainable solution for controlling the spread of Candida auris in healthcare facilities. These findings suggest that, although chemical disinfectants show variable effectiveness, they generally appear less reliable and less potent than UV-C exposure.