Research on Candida auris and its presence in dogs raises questions about transmission and monitoring
Scientists at McMaster University have reported the isolation of a live culture of Candida auris from the ear canals of stray dogs, marking a notable finding in the study of this antifungal resistant pathogen. The study was shared in Mushroom Magazine.
Candida auris first appeared in scientific records in Japan in 2009. It is a yeast known for resistance to multiple antifungal drugs, and infections caused by this organism can be difficult to treat. In clinical settings, C. auris infections can be persistent and severe, and a significant portion of patients with invasive infections have not survived, underscoring the seriousness of this pathogen.
In the new study, researchers explored whether stray dogs may carry drug resistant strains of C. auris and what this could mean for broader public health. The team collected skin swabs and ear swabs from 87 dogs housed in shelters in Delhi. Among the sampled animals, 42 were homeless and undergoing treatment for chronic skin conditions; C. auris signals were detected in the ear canals of four of these dogs.
The researchers emphasized caution in monitoring both domestic and wild animals in areas where C. auris is known to be present. While person to person transmission of the pathogen is more clearly understood, the pathways for animal to human transmission or animal to animal spread remain less clear and require further investigation. Their conclusion calls for careful surveillance and continued research to better understand how this fungus behaves across species.
Recent discussions have highlighted that a deadly fungus is spreading across parts of the United States, which has intensified attention to how such organisms emerge and spread in different settings.
These findings add to a growing body of work that aims to map the ecological variety of C. auris and to strengthen infection prevention measures in both veterinary and human healthcare environments. They also point to the need for standardized testing, rapid diagnostics, and coordinated public health responses to track and limit the spread of resistant yeasts.
Overall, the study suggests that stray and shelter animals could play a role in the ecology of C. auris, and it highlights the importance of ongoing surveillance, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and robust data sharing to protect vulnerable populations. The researchers note the necessity of further studies to determine how common such carriage is in different animal populations and how any potential transfer to humans might occur.
Citation note: findings are reported with attribution to Mushroom Magazine in a recent communications release.