Pseudo-Outbreak of Candida lipolytica in an acute care hospital in Washington, DC, 2025
- Presentation Day/Time: Thursday, April 23, 9:45 AM
- Presenter: Brooke Talbot, MS, PhD, Laboratory Leadership Service Fellow, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases
The Issue
- Candida (Yarrowia) lipolytica is a yeast found in the environment. During August 2024–August 2025, 29 C. lipolytica cases were detected in blood cultures from emergency department (ED) patients at an acute care hospital in Washington, DC.
What We Did
- In August of 2025, CDC provided on-site assistance and sequencing support to the hospital and DC Health to determine a potential source of the fungus and provide infection prevention and control (IPC) recommendations. Together we analyzed 18 blood culture tube isolates, observed blood culture collections, traced sample movement through the hospital, and collected 41 environmental samples from the ED.
What We Found
- Blood culture isolates were nearly identical genetically. Hand hygiene and aseptic technique lapses were observed during the blood culture collection process. Culture did not yield C. lipolytica from the environmental samples, but 16 of the 41 samples had detectable C. lipolytica DNA. These included eight hand sanitizer units, blood collection supply carts, a ceiling vent, ultrasound equipment, and patient bed components.
What This Means
- Results support a pseudo-outbreak caused by contamination during blood culture collection. Environmental sampling with sequencing can help characterize contamination and exposures during healthcare outbreaks.
