Candida auris: Maricopa County Experience 2020-2024

Session Description: Over the past five years, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) has worked to strengthen its response to Carbapenem Resistant Organism and Candida auris, some of the most urgent antibiotic-resistant threats in the U.S. This presentation will provide a comprehensive overview of MCDPH’s multifaceted approach to MDRO prevention and containment, including the development and evolution of local surveillance systems, implementation of infection prevention strategies across healthcare settings, and the role of inter-facility collaboration in controlling transmission.

Presenters will share key challenges faced during the early phases of Candida auris emergence in Maricopa County, and how those informed the development of more robust containment protocols. Attendees will learn how MCDPH leveraged data, partnerships, and targeted outreach to facilities with limited resources, and how those strategies contributed to a measurable decline in Candida auris outbreaks post-2022.

Through real-world examples, outcomes data, and lessons learned, this session will equip public health professionals and infection preventionists with practical insights and adaptable tools for managing MDRO threats in their own jurisdictions.