Antifungal efficacy of natural antiseptic products againstCandida auris

ABSTRACT Candida auris ( C. auris ) is an emerging fungal pathogen responsible for healthcare associated infections and outbreaks with high mortality around the world. It readily colonizes the skin, nares, respiratory and urinary tract of hospitalized patients, and such colonization may lead to invasive Candida infection in susceptible patients. However, there is currently a lack of decolonization protocol for C. auris . The aim of this study is to evaluate the susceptibility of C. auris to commonly used synthetic and natural antiseptic products. Synthetic antiseptics including chlorhexidine, povidone-iodine, and nystatin were shown to be fungicidal against C. auris . Among the natural antiseptics tested, tea tree oil and manuka oil were fungicidal at concentrations less than 1.25% and 0.63% (v/v), respectively. Manuka honey inhibited C. auris at 25% (v/v) concentrations. Among the commercial products tested, manuka body wash and mouthwash were fungicidal against C. auris at concentrations less than 0.10% (w/v) and 6.25% (v/v), respectively, while tea tree body wash and Medihoney TM wound gel demonstrated fungistatic properties. In conclusion, this study demonstrated good in vitro antifungal efficacy of tea tree oil, manuka oil, manuka honey, and commercially available antiseptic products containing these active ingredients. Future studies are warranted to evaluate the effectiveness of these antiseptic products in clinical settings.