Nursing facilities with ventilators have higher C. auris transmission, study finds

Skilled nursing facilities in Maryland containing ventilated residents had higher rates of C. auris transmission, according to a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control. The researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of all Maryland skilled nursing facilities from 2019-2023 using linked data sets. The study, the first to examine facility-level associations between care quality ratings and C. auris transmission, found higher rates of C.auris transmissions in facilities with poor family care ratings and in facilities containing a higher number of patients with pressure ulcers. The researchers suggest targeting screening and infection prevention resources to facilities with ventilators and those with a higher number of wound patients and lower quality of care indicators. (American Journal of Infection Control article, 8/25/26)