Hospital-acquired Candidozyma auris infections as an emerging threat in Saudi Arabia and Egypt: A narrative review on epidemiology and prevention strategies

Candidozyma auris (C. auris)
is an emerging multidrug-resistant pathogen increasingly associated in hospital-associated outbreaks, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs), and is classified by the World Health Organization as a critical priority pathogen. Its ability to persist in hospital environments, colonize patients asymptomatically, and exhibit multi-drug resistance to antifungal drugs poses a major challenge to infection prevention and control (IPC). This work is a synthesis of published, hospital-based evidence on nosocomial
C. auris
infections in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, with implications for antifungal stewardship, infection prevention, and control. Saudi Arabia and Egypt were selected because of their contrasting surveillance, healthcare capacities, and reporting intensities, which allow for comparative regional interpretation. This narrative review was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar for English-language articles from 2020 to 2025, with key terms including “
Candida auris,
” “
C. auris,
” together with related concepts such as epidemiology, transmission, IPC, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and drug resistance, with an emphasis on hospital-based studies. Available evidence indicates a marked increase in reported cases and outbreaks in Saudi Arabia, with risk factors of ICU exposure, invasive medical device use, and antibiotic use, whereas data from Egypt though limited increasingly suggest misdiagnosis and emerging local circulation in tertiary care settings. Both countries exhibit high fluconazole resistance and variable susceptibility to amphotericin B, with echinocandins as the preferred first-line therapy. These findings highlight the urgent need for enhanced surveillance, improved diagnostic capacity, and sustained, consistent IPC strategies in healthcare settings across the regions to limit further spread of
C. auris
.